Penn State’s Smith Vilbert remains unavailable, James Franklin says; an early PSU-Northwestern prediction, and more

Penn State has been a favorite all week over Maryland. However, the number has dropped throughout the week. It opened at 10.5 points. Now, it's down to 8.5. The No. 11 Nittany Lions (7-1) and Terrapins (5-3) meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Will head coach James Franklin's program cover the number? The Lions aim to do so while playing better than…

No. 10 Penn State might be working through some pent-up frustration Saturday when it hosts Indiana in a Big Ten East battle. A week after falling 20-12 at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions will be looking to get back on the impressive trajectory they enjoyed during a 6-0 start -- when they outscored opponents by an average margin of 36.3…

Despite Penn State's poor offensive showing last week against Ohio State, we expect James Franklin's program to run up the score in Week 9 when they take on a porous Hoosiers defense. Read more in our Indiana vs. Penn State betting picks. Questions are flying about whether James Franklin will ever have Penn State truly competing with the big boys…

There's no shortage of Big Ten East and College Football Playoff implications as Penn State makes its biennial pilgrimage to Columbus for the biggest game of the college football weekend. While a loss for either side doesn't eliminate it from the division race, it becomes precipitously more difficult in needing all the tiebreakers to fall the right…

Penn State head coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar (15) celebrate a 31-0 win over Iowa in a NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 | 2 a.m. Two eras of college football are at risk of passing without Penn State having ever been much of a factor on the national level. When…

In the biggest game on the Week 8 college football slate, the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (-4.5) host the seventh-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, a matchup with plenty of Big Ten East and CFB Playoff implications. While one loss won't completely end either school's Big Ten East hopes, it steepens their path exponentially, making this week's…

Last week, Penn State coach James Franklin made some comments during his weekly press conference about scheduling. His remarks captured plenty of attention, mainly because they were perceived as a shot at Michigan's nonconference slate. But it was another question posed to Franklin during that press conference which garnered a reaction I found a…

No. 6 Penn State looks to stay perfect Saturday when it welcomes UMass to town for a midseason non-conference matchup at Beaver Stadium. It will be just the second clash on the gridiron between the two schools after Penn State roared to a 48-7 victory during their only previous meeting in 2014. Seeking their first 6-0 start since 2019, the Nittany…

Through the course of an up-and-down season, Northwestern finds itself having already doubled its 2022 win total, in large part because of some home heroics. The Wildcats excelled in the second half against the UTEP Miners and stormed back in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, finding cohesion on both sides of the ball. NU's…

James Franklin and 3 of his more veteran players spent a couple days in Indianapolis this week boring the crap out of everyone willing to listen. A tale about Adisa Isaac's misadventures with some spicy cocktail sauce at a restaurant accounts for the most interesting words spoken. Next up on the riveting conversation list probably would be a…

Two weeks ago, James Franklin provided a lengthy 740-word answer in response to a question about his evolved approach to fourth-down decision-making, acknowledging that there's been "a pretty significant shift" in the coaching community. But really, all Franklin had to do to explain his stance was point at the numbers. With the regular season now…

Penn State's James Franklin pursues career win No. 100 in his 12 seasons as a head coach when the Nittany Lions visit Rutgers on Saturday. But the real question is whether Penn State will record consecutive shutouts for the first time under Franklin. Will it happen? To the prediction. When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday Where: SHI Stadium, Piscataway,…

A week ago, Penn State was in prime position to score arguably the biggest upset of the college football season to date, taking a 21-16 lead over No. 2 Ohio State with less than 9½ minutes to play at Beaver Stadium. And then … the bottom fell out. Ohio State scored four touchdowns in barely six minutes and romped to a 44-31 victory. So for the…

For almost three and a half quarters, it looked like the No. 15 Penn State Nittany Lions were set to take down No. 2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes offense mustered 16 points through the first 50 or so minutes of the game. Then, an offensive explosion saw Ohio State score 28 fourth quarter points, leaving the Nittany Lions with no answers in their 44-31…

One of the top matchups during Week 7 of the college football slate will take place in Ann Arbor, where No. 10 Penn State looks to keep its undefeated season alive against undefeated No. 5 Michigan in a game with plenty of Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications. The Nittany Lions, fresh off their bye week after winning a low-scoring…

Penn State needs to execute one more transaction to set up the Big Ten's first marquee matchup of the season. So when can we begin talking about Penn State vs. Michigan on Oct. 15? The No. 11 Lions host Northwestern looking for their third 5-0 start in the past four seasons. They're huge favorites over a team that has yet to win in the U.S. and is…

Penn State opens October with its second Big Ten foe of the season on Saturday. The Lions are a massive favorite over Northwestern. The Wildcats will be visiting State College for the first time since 2014. They are currently listed as a 26.5-point underdog. "Obviously at home," Penn State head coach James Franklin said. "It'll be a challenge.…

As Penn State dives fully into the Big Ten slate of its schedule after handling all three of their non-conference opponents, the Nittany Lions welcome a Northwestern program that is one of the worst in the conference this season. After picking up a resounding win over Nebraska in Ireland in Week 0, the Wildcats have lost their last three games to…

Knocking on the door of top-10 status in national rankings, Penn State embarks on a nine-week span of eight Big Ten matchups, beginning next Saturday against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions open October in Beaver Stadium, welcoming a Wildcats squad that dropped its last three games. According to Caesars Sportsbook, Penn State begins this game week…

Penn State beat Central Michigan 33-14 but the Nittany Lions failed to cover big 28-point spread. Central Michigan racked up 363 yards but Penn State forced four turnovers which kept the game Under the total points line of 63. Quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 14 Penn State stay a perfect 4-0 on the…

Penn State coach James Franklin was asked this week about the importance of the Nittany Lions being "cool." They are, in fact, 3-0, field one of the nation's most electrifying freshmen and helped Eli Manning introduce wannabe college football star Chad Powers to the world. Penn State football is in a good spot. Yet coach James Franklin, always…

Penn State's home-and-home series with Auburn concludes with a matchup in Alabama later today. James Franklin's Nittany Lions won 28-20 over the Tigers in 2021 at Beaver Stadium. The SEC program is looking for payback this year. Here are some details. No. 22 PENN STATE (2-0) vs. AUBURN (2-0) Kickoff: 3:30 today at Jordan-Hare Stadium. TV: CBS (Brad…

a 31-0 win over Iowa, Penn State returns to the road for another Big Ten game next Saturday at Northwestern. The Wildcats will host the No. 6 Nittany Lions at noon ET, representing PSU's final matchup before a midseason bye week. It's the first meeting in Evanston between these programs since 2017, and Penn State aims to build a 10-game win streak…

Want to see Penn State football in the biggest bowl game possible? Then root for the favorites Saturday during conference championship weekend. Root for the status quo to prevail - meaning Texas beating Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title and Michigan beating Iowa to win the Big Ten. As long as that happens, Penn State should qualify for one of…

an unbeaten September, the Penn State football program resumes its 2023 regular season Saturday afternoon. The No. 6 Nittany Lions welcome UMass to Beaver Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. Homecoming game, and expectations are in place for yet another lopsided result. Outscoring opponents by an average of 31 points through five victories, Penn State is…