Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Penn State Football

Whatโ€™s National Media Saying About Penn State Football vs. Wisconsin?

Ji'Ayir Brown had a game-clinching interception the last time Penn State played Wisconsin, Sept. 4 2021
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 04: Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown (16) can't quite hang on to the ball for an interception in front of Wisconsin wide receiver Kendric Pryor (3) during a college football game between the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the Penn State University Nittany Lions on September 4, 2021 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire)

Our staff at Nittany Sports Now has its predictions for what will be a pretty big football game between Penn State and Wisconsin Saturday night but what are the national experts saying?

Penn State football comes in 6-0 and ranked No. 3.

Wisconsin, which split its first four games, has won three in a row to move to 5-2. The result of this from a Vegas standpoint is Penn State being favored by 6.5-points on the road. Penn State hasnโ€™t lost a regular-season game as a favorite since October 2021.

Hereโ€™s what national media expertsโ€” and a few Wisconsin beat writersโ€” predict will happen on what could be a wild nightโ€” good or badโ€” for Penn State football.

BRIAN DOHN, 247Sports

Did Wisconsin beat up on a pair of weak opponents in topping Rutgers and Purdue by a combined 94-13,โ€ Dohn wrote, โ€œor did the Badgers figure things out after big losses to Alabama and USC? The feeling is somewhere in the middle, which could make this a difficult game for the Nittany Lions during their toughest stretch of the season. Penn State is coming off a bye, has momentum from the comeback win at USC, and quarterback Drew Allarโ€™s game-tying drive at the end of regulation should give the Lions confidence going into what could be a tough environment.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Wisconsin 17

MATT HERB, ON3

โ€œCamp Randall Stadium is a tough place to play, no doubt,โ€ Herb wrote. โ€œItโ€™ll be especially inhospitable at night under the primetime lights. But the Nittany Lions have won three of their past four games in Madison, and they showed at USC that theyโ€™ve got the kind of team that can go on the road and pull out a win against a talented opponent.

Three performers in particular stood out in the overtime victory over the Trojans, and they inspire optimism heading into what figures to be another tough test against Wisconsin. There was Tyler Warren, obviously, and Allar, who, with the Nittany Lions needing points in the second half, went 17-for-23 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

There was also Ryan Barker. Allar and Warren had been expected to do big things this year, but the Lionsโ€™ kicking situation was a concern. A month ago, if you had told me that the USC game would come down to a field goal, I wouldnโ€™t have felt good about PSUโ€™s chances. But while the sample size is small, Barker showed against the Trojans that heโ€™s capable of delivering in high-pressure situations. Given the difficulty of the opponent and the venue, along with Penn Stateโ€™s penchant for not covering the spread (6.5 points this week), it wouldnโ€™t be surprising if the Lions were to find themselves faced with another situation in which field-goal kicking proves crucial.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Wisconsin 21ย 

MARK STEWART, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

โ€œIt seems like the deeper into the season we get, the less we know,โ€ Stewart wrote. โ€œTeams we thought were really good have struggled of late and teams that had slow starts are gaining steam. That is where the Badgers stand. I worry about UWโ€™s pass defense, but overall like the teamโ€™s trajectory in all three phases of the game. Penn State survived close calls against Bowling Green and USC. Not this week.

Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Penn State 20

JR RADCLIFFE, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

โ€œWisconsin is in a much better place than it was the last time it faced a team this good, back when it hosted Alabama,โ€ Radcliffe wrote. โ€œMoreover, it’s not like Penn State has outright dominated its schedule, at least not to the degree that you’d think for โ€˜No. 3 team in the country.โ€™ It’s still a monumental task for the Badgers to win this game. Tight end Tyler Warren is a genuine problem, one I don’t think UW will always have an answer for. Penn State has some off-the-field issues this week and is prone to hiccups coming off a bye under James Franklin; throw in a night-game atmosphere at Camp Randall and it’s an ideal laboratory for Wisconsin to pull an upset. I just don’t know if it can pull it off. Will keeping it close be enough to satisfy the fan base?

Prediction:ย Penn State 24, Wisconsin 20

NICK OSEN, BADGER247

COMMENT: Wisconsin upsets Penn State,โ€ Osen writes, โ€œif the Badgers can win the turnover battle and hold the Nittany Lions to three touchdowns or less, not including any field goals in that aspect. The Badgers will have a tougher time if they get behind early, and struggle in stopping the run game from Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

I see Penn State holding a late lead, and Nathanial Vakos and Wisconsin kicking a late 38-yard field goal for the win in Madison, following a highly contested matchup.

There are high expectations for the atmosphere in this one, and I see Camp Randall living up to the hype on Halloween weekend in Madtown. I think we are in for a treat, in terms of a high-level ballgame on Saturday.

Prediction: Wisconsin 26, Penn State 24

Get NSN in your Inbox

Enter your email address to get notifications of new posts by email.

More from Nittany Sports Now

Penn State Football Recruiting

1 One of the top wide receivers in the Class of 2026 has listed Penn State football as one of his finalists. 2026 4-star...

Penn State Football

0 Penn State is ranked sixth in the first College Football Playoff rankings, unveiled Tuesday with four games left before conference championships but at...

Penn State Football Recruiting

2s For the second consecutive week, the No. 6 ranked Penn State football program will be hosting a large number of highly rated recruits....

Penn State Football Recruiting

3s Despite being committed to Penn State for over a calendar year, Aliquippa 2025 4-star running back Tiqwai Hayes was a popular recruit. Reason...