5 Things To Watch: Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — One of the most anticipated games on the 2025 regular-season schedule across all of college football is at hand.

Penn State's Beaver Stadium will host a matchup of top-10 teams and a rematch of the 2024 Big Ten Championship game when No. 6 Oregon plays at the No. 3 Nittany Lions on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT.

The UO football team brings a 22-game regular-season win streak into the game, the longest active streak in the country. That includes four wins this season, nonconference home defeats of Montana State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State, and a win in the Ducks' Big Ten opener at Northwestern on Sept. 13.

The Nittany Lions also have three nonconference wins under their collective belt, at home against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova. Penn State has yet to play a road game, has yet to play a Big Ten game and is coming off a bye last week.

Oregon's win over the Nittany Lions for last year's Big Ten title was the Ducks' second in five all-time meetings between the two. Oregon's other victory in the series was Oct. 3, 1964, the only previous game in the series hosted by Penn State.

Saturday's game will be televised by NBC, with Noah Eagle providing play by play, analysis from Todd Blackledge and sideline reporting by Kathryn Tappen.

Some storylines to watch once the game kicks off …

1. From the moment the 2025 schedule was announced, this game was circled on the calendar, and not just in Oregon and Pennsylvania. It was widely believed Saturday's game would have major implications for the Big Ten title race and the College Football Playoff, and entering the last weekend of September that hasn't changed.

"Certainly excited for this one," UO coach Dan Lanning said at a press conference this week. "I know (the public and media) have been thinking about this one for a long time, and now we finally can focus on it as well."

The game is being televised in a primetime national broadcast window, and the energy in the stadium should be electric — Penn State asked its fans to "white out" the stands, creating one of the most high-profile homefield atmospheres in the country.

"Excited for that environment," Lanning said. "It's one that I haven't been to before, but I've heard a lot about."

2. Saturday's game is a rematch of Oregon's 45-37 victory last Dec. 7 in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The Ducks were outgained in that one but capitalized on two turnovers to win despite giving up 292 rushing yards.

"That was not a game that we played to the standard when it came to our rushing defense," Lanning said. "There's things we could have done better schematically, and then there's things that technically we can be a lot better at as well. So it's certainly been a focus for us."

This season, Penn State's leading rusher has been Kaytron Allen, who is averaging 8.0 yards per carry and 91 yards per game, with three touchdowns on 34 rushes. Through four games this fall, Oregon is giving up 108.75 rushing yards per game, and the Nittany Lions will be the toughest test yet.

"They're really tough to prepare for because they're moving almost every play," Lanning said. "So it just presents real challenges with the shifts and movements and motions that they do."

3. New to the Penn State staff this year is defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who directed Ohio State's top-ranked defense in the country as the Buckeyes brought home a national championship last season.

"It's a lot of the similar scheme that they carry at Ohio State," Lanning said. "And he always has new wrinkles. Every week you see something new that you haven't necessarily seen on film that he's able to pull from, and he defends you well. And that's always going to present a good challenge."

In some potentially good timing for the Ducks, they might be getting a couple weapons back on offense this week. Lanning said it's possible that Noah Whittington could return from a two-game absence Saturday; he ran for 82 yards in the Big Ten title game a year ago. And Oregon's receiver ranks could be bolstered by the return of Justius Lowe.

4. Penn State complements its rushing offense with a passing attack led by Drew Allar, who came into the season considered one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.

A year ago Allar threw three touchdown passes against the Ducks in the Big Ten title game while also rushing for a score. The UO defense also had two interceptions in the game.

"They have some guys that can stretch the field, they run good routes, and the quarterback can make all the throws," Lanning said. "He's got a big arm."

So far this season Allar is 57-of-88 for 626 yards and touchdowns, with an interception. The Nittany Lions' leading receiver is Kyron Hudson, a transfer from USC whose brother Keyon Ware-Hudson is a former defensive tackle for the Ducks.

5. There's no denying the stakes of this game. It was a sign of respect for Oregon that Penn State scheduled a "white out" for Saturday, and now the Ducks have to show the merit of that decision.

"What've we said before — pressure is a privilege, right?" Lanning said. "And you want to come to Oregon to play in games like this, right? There's always pressure for us, every single time we step out there. This is certainly a unique one, but that's what you're excited about."

A year ago the Ducks were able to put together a perfect 12-0 regular season followed by a win over Penn State thanks to their focus on weekly improvement, and not peeking ahead on the schedule. They've followed that formula so far again this season, but it will be put to the test Saturday.

"I think our guys are mature, and they've been able to handle that well," Lanning said. "You know, that hasn't been mentioned in our program. In my role at times you have to look big picture. You have to look down the road, not just necessarily this game but a lot of games. But within the week the prep for our players has been really focused, and they've done a good job of handling that."