Penn State football is back, and the team starts its season this afternoon in Morgantown, West Virginia against a hungry WVU squad.
NSN’s predictions are in, and they will be revealed right now.
Let’s get into it.
Jarrod Prugar: If there’s a team prepared to play in a hostile environment it’s Penn State. It will be an incredible atmosphere in Morgantown, but the Nittany Lions offense is much more skilled than West Virginia and has a wealth of experience where it matters most.
Penn State 34, WVU 17
Austin Bechtold: This is going to be a difficult game for Penn State. Anyone that thinks differently is in for a rude awakening. What does benefit Penn State is this being a noon game in one of the most underrated environments in the Big 12.
This is Drew Allar’s season. He’s 12th in Heisman odds, has a young and talented offensive coordinator in Andy Kotelnicki at his disposal, and two All-American running backs. He has to play like a potential first-round pick and one of the best PSU quarterbacks in years, just like he did to start the season against West Virginia in 2023. Allar begins a breakout season against the Mountaineers.
I’m excited to see what Kotelnicki brings to the offense and how he utilizes a subpar wide receiver room. Being a the spring game and Penn State media day, the culture is different. Tom Allen is a part of it too and replacing one of the best coordinators in the country in Mandy Diaz won’t be easy. Penn State will rely on a similar formula as last year most of the season: run the ball, play good defense, and efficient offense on possession downs. Except this time I believe they will take more vertical shots and be a more well-rounded offense. It’s up to Drew to be the guy. I think he’s up for the part and ready to become the guy everyone at Penn State believes he will be. This is only step one.
Penn State 24, WVU 17
Logan Carney: I think WVU is going to be a very good team this year. They received votes in both the coaches and AP polls, and that’s right about where I expect them to be, a borderline top 25 team. I still don’t trust their defense, but I’m a big fan of Garrett Greene at QB. Him, alongside a talented HB duo, will win them around eight games this season.
But Penn State will not be one of them.
Penn State is easiest team in the country to predict week in and week out. They always win the games they are supposed to win and lose the games they are supposed to lose. A really boring 10-2 regular, to be quite honest.
WVU is experienced and at home, but PSU is also experienced, has more talent, and has played in tougher environments – although Morgantown shouldn’t be taken lightly. I think the score will be more respectable than last year’s game, but Penn State will be in control from the start, and walk away as comfortable as a one-score win can get.
Penn State 35, West Virginia 28
Ethan Bock, West Virginia Sports Now/Mountaineer Report: “I think West Virginia keeps it competitive at least through two and a half, maybe three quarters. They could even have it close in the fourth. I just Penn State escapes at the end.”
Penn State 34, West Virginia 24
Mike Asti, West Virginia Sports Now/Mountaineer Report: “I think Penn State’s going to win this game as well. I also do think West Virginia is going to hang in this and make this more competitive than last year regardless of what the score shows. I think this game will leave people thinking West Virginia is a Big 12 contender, we’ll see what they do the rest of the year.”
Penn State 42, West Virginia 32
Joe Smeltzer, Nittany Sports Now: There are reasons for Penn State fans to be concerned. Even if new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense ends up being very good, how good will it be Week 1? Even if Tom Allen proves a worthy successor to Manny Diaz, will adjusting to a new defensive coordinator be an issue? There’s also the issue of West Virginia being a Big 12 contender playing in a raucous environment that will be more revved up for any game in the Neal Brown era (2019-). With all that said, there’s a reason James Franklin hasn’t lost a game in August/September since 2018 and hasn’t lost a regular-season game as a favorite since 2021. Penn State prepares well and doesn’t overlook anybody, let alone its first opponent in eight months. These two teams have similar strengths (QB play, tight end play, good OL, two quality RBs), and when teams are similar, it’s best to go with the one that has the most talent. That team is Penn State.
Penn State 31, West Virginia 20
