Penn State is coming off an 11-win season that was highlighted by a victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl, and the hype for the 2023 season is already building. Penn State will still face some good challenges lining up in 2023 with division games against two College Football Playoff teams from last season, crossover games against two Big Ten West contenders, and a fun season-opener against an old regional rival from the Big 12.
The betting lines for the season and the win totals may still be a few months away from being shared by the experts in the desert, but 247Sports took some time to make some predictions on what the win totals will be for every team in the Big Ten. With Penn State looking to be a pretty solid team but with a decent schedule to navigate, what was the number 247Sports came up with for Penn State’s predicted win total?
247Sports landed on a win total of 9.5 for the Nittany Lions. Given that Penn State must play Michigan and Ohio State and those two teams have been hurdles the Nittany Lions have not managed to clear the last couple of seasons, this feels like a reasonable figure to go with at this point in the offseason.
Here’s what 247Sports said about its win total prediction for Penn State;
Everyone’s preseason “dark horse” to get to the playoff in 2023, Penn State’s win total will be an intriguing once it comes out later this spring. We’re guessing oddsmakers will set it at 9.5, just low enough for bettors to nibble on 10 wins or more for the Nittany Lions. They’ll have to get through Michigan and Ohio State without a loss anywhere else on the schedule to hit it, which James Franklin’s team managed to do last season. September has a few challenging games as well, including matchups against West Virginia, Illinois and Iowa.
Penn State reaching 10 wins does seem reasonable to expect, but that may be under the assumption Penn State doesn’t win either game against Michigan and Ohio State. A split between those two games likely makes it much more likely for Penn State to easily hit the over, but games against West Virginia, Iowa, and Illinois should not be overlooked either.
Penn State will open the season at home against West Virginia, but it will be the first start for expected starter Drew Allar at quarterback. Iowa may not do much of anything on offense but its defense is always tricky to figure out. And Illinois is coming off a big season of improvement as a program, and playing on the road against the Illini is a game that should be on the radar for a potential upset alert.
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