BIG 10 Championship Preview: Can Penn State Pull the Upset?

Tagged under: News, Penn State, Pennsylvania Colleges, pfn

Mason Eddinger | December 5, 2024

The year is 2016: Pokemon Go was the most popular app, LeBron and the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals, and Penn State just won the BIG 10 title in comeback fashion. Now eight years later, Pokemon Go is irrelevant, LeBron is on the Lakers, but Penn State is back in the BIG 10 title game facing off against #1 Oregon. Imagine saying to someone in 2016, that in 2024 Penn State would play Oregon in the BIG 10 title, a then PAC-12 team, that’s conference realignment for you.

Let’s talk about the game:

Oregon is the best team Penn State will play against all year. The Ducks are #1 and just finished their first undefeated season since 2010. If we rewind our time capsule from 2016 to 2014, we would see a mobile Hawaiian QB wearing #8 terrorizing defenses en route to a Heisman Trophy, is 2024 much different? Now, a mobile Hawaiin wearing #8 is terrorizing defenses. Although Dillon Gabriel will most likely not win the Heisman like Mariota did a decade ago, he is having a stellar year. His 85 QBR is good for 3rd in the nation, and he has thrown for over 3,200 yards this year. The stats don’t jump off the page initially, but he wins a lot. Matter of fact, the Oregon Ducks are the only team in College Football without a loss this year. Their trio of Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart, and Traeshon Holden are one of the best WR trios in the nation. Pair them with one of the country’s finest Tight Ends in Terrance Ferguson, and not many can compete with the Duck’s aerial attack. On the ground, Jordan James has filled the hole of Bucky Irving from a year ago with a 1000-yard season. Penn State’s defense will have their work cut out for them on Saturday Night.

For Penn State, the road to get here has been rocky. They rattled off win after win to start the year with little to no problem. Then, they hit a roadblock of USC but found a way to win late in the game. Their lone loss came to Ohio State, again. But, when the season ended, Penn State had their best regular season mark under James Franklin. And, with a little help from That Team Up North, Penn State got a bid to play in the BIG 10 title game. The key to the game for Penn State is that it starts and ends on their defensive line. Abdul Carter and Co. need to be able to apply pressure constantly. If Gabriel can deliver to his aforementioned trio, Oregon’s offense could be too tough to stop. This is also a huge game for Drew Allar. In the few times he’s lost in his career, he and the offense struggled to establish a rhythm, and the whole team suffered from it. This is expected to be a close game, and I think it will be a close game.

PREDICTION:  #1 OREGON 27 #3 PENN STATE 23

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