Tag: Penn State Football

Penn State vs. Purdue: Staff predictions for Week 12 matchup

Penn State is the easy pick this weekend according to our staff picks. Agree?

Penn State is a big favorite on the road this weekend at Purdue, and it is easy to see why. Penn State is ranked fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings coming into the weekend, and Purdue has just one win all season. Is this a mismatch too easy to take lightly, or will Penn State go out and smash the Boilermakers to remain on pace for a home playoff game?

You can see our Big Ten picks for this weekend, but we always share our expanded thoughts and final score predictions for the Penn State game in a separate post. So without any further delay, here are our predictions for this weekend’s matchup between the Nittany Lions and Purdue.

Brad: This is a game that Penn State should dominate, and based on the statistical profiles of the two teams, they will. The Nittany Lions are going to get a ton of their young players reps in this one, so it might not be as decisive of a victory as it otherwise would be, but they should still be able to put up points and shut down Purdue with the young guys in.

Penn State 40, Purdue 7

Charlie: Purdue has only scored 7 combined points against Notre Dame, Oregon and Ohio State. Penn State is definitely in that tier and its defense should have a field day. The Nittany Lions need to show they are truly dominant and ready for a playoff run with a big win against the Boilermakers.

Penn State 42, Purdue 7

Kevin: I think last week was a strong indication that this Penn State team is ready to finish the season on a strong note and force their way into a first-round home playoff matchup. The way in which Penn State bounced back from the loss to Ohio State is an encouraging sign, and Purdue is not the opponent that should instill much fear in them on the road this week.

Purdue has been going through a rough season and it;s not about to get any prettier this weekend. Penn State should jump out to a comfortable four-touchdown lead by halftime and put this thing on cruise control in the second half with a running game working the clock.

Penn State 38, Purdue 9

Shayne: Penn State coasted to a 35-6 victory over Washington in its annual White Out game a week ago. Purdue meanwhile continued to struggle, losing 45-0 to Ohio State to fall to 1-8 on the year.

Purdue has been one of the worst FBS teams in the country this year, so Penn State should dominate this game from start to finish. If they don’t look like the far superior team, however, it will be yet another sign that they aren’t fully prepared for a playoff run.

Penn State 42, Purdue 10

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Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalists include Penn State duo

Penn State hopes one of these two will be the third Walter Camp Player of the Year winner in school history.

As the regular season begins to wind down, the individual college football awards are beginning to trim down players form their preseason watch lists to semifinalists and finalists for the college football award season. One of the top individual awards in the sport is the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, and this year sees two Penn State players remaining in the mix for the honor.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation released the list of semifinalists for this year’s award. Penn State tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] were among the 20 semifinalists for the award. Penn State is one of three schools with multiple semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. The others are Ole Miss (QB Jaxson Dart and DT Walter Nolen) and Colorado (WR/DB Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders).

Warren is leading Penn State in total yards from scrimmage with 775 yards (681 receiving, 94 rushing) and is tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns scored. Warren has also thrown for a touchdown. Warren is averaging 10.8 yards per play from scrimmage (combined between rushing and receiving touches).

Carter has been a monster on the edge for Penn State after moving from linebacker to edge this season. Carter leads the Big Ten with 16 tackles for loss and he leads the Penn State defense with 8.0 sacks. He has also forced two fumbles and deflected three passes as he gets more comfortable in his new position.

Warren and Carter are each looking to become Penn State’s third Walter Camp Award winner in program history. The other two winners from Penn State are John Cappelletti in 1973 and Larry Johnson in 2002.

Warren and Carter are each going up against some historical trends that may be stacked against them. There has been just one tight end to win the award with Notre Dame‘s Ken MacAfee winning the award in 1977. In the history of the award, which was first presented in 1967, there have been just three defensive players to win the award (Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o in 2012, Michigan‘s Charles Woodson in 1997, and Pittsburgh’s Hugh Green in 1980).

Last year’s winner of the Walter Camp Award was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

https://www.instagram.com/waltercampfootball/p/DCUbepQvEkX/?hl=en

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Penn State ranked No. 4 in latest CFB Playoff Rankings

Penn State moved up in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings.

Penn State has moved up two spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings and remains in the driver’s seat for a potential home playoff game in December. Penn State is ranked no. 4 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released by the selection committee on Tuesday night. That currently puts Penn State in a position to be the No. 6 seed in the playoff field this year, giving the Nittany Lions a home playoff game against an SEC opponent.

Penn State started off at No. 6 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings a week ago. However, a projected playoff field would have given Penn State a No. 7 ranking with the top four seeds reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions.

The top 12 teams as of Nov. 12

Here is what the top 12 looks like in the second release of the College Football Playoff rankings this season:

  1. Oregon
  2. Ohio State
  3. Texas
  4. Penn State
  5. Indiana
  6. BYU
  7. Tennessee
  8. Notre Dame
  9. Miami
  10. Alabama
  11. Ole Miss
  12. Georgia

If the season ended today, here are the first-round matchups

  • 5. Ohio State vs. 12. Boise State (Mountain West Conference leader)
  • 6, Penn State vs. 11. Ole Miss
  • 7. Indiana vs. 10. Alabama
  • 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Notre Dame

Boise State is ranked no. 13 in the selection committee’s rankings this week, but the Broncos could nab the no. 12 seed as a Mountain West Conference champion. The four top seeds are reserved for the four highest-ranked conference champions but a fifth spot in the field is reserved for the fifth highest-ranked conference champion. But that fifth conference champion gets slotted according to rankings, and is given the 12th seed if ranked outside the top 12. In this scenario, Boise State would block Georgia in the playoff field.

In the current projections, Penn State would host Ole Miss in a rematch of last season’s PEach Bowl, which Penn State lost to the Rebels in Atlanta.

Penn State will visit Purdue this weekend with the hopes of maintaining its position in the playoff hunt with just a few games remaining in the regular season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

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What is Penn State football’s all-time record vs. Purdue?

Penn State looks to continue its dominance against Purdue. The Nittany Lions dominate the series.

After picking up a rebound win last weekend at home in the whiteout game against Washington, Penn State is back on the road this week to take on one of the Big Ten’s cellar dwellers, Purdue. It just so happens Penn State has owned the Boilermakers in the series with the majority of the matchups coming since Penn State joined the Big Ten in the 1990s.

Penn State is 16-1-3 all-time against Purdue. The series dates back to 1951, when Purdue won the first meeting between the two schools in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue blanked Penn State 28-0 in the early November meeting. The two schools met the following season (1952) in State College and played to a 20-20 tie for the only tie in the series.

Penn State did not face Purdue again until after joining the Big Ten. After not facing Purdue in each of its first two seasons in the conference in 1993 and 1994, Penn State finally met Purdue in 1995 and started a winning streak with a 26-23 victory. Penn State won six consecutive meetings from 1995 through 2000 before Purdue won back-to-back games in 2003 and 2004, which were two of the worst seasons for the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten era.

Penn State has won 10 straight meetings in the series between 2005 and the most recent meeting in the series in 2022.

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Where can I watch the CFP rankings for Penn State football?

2024’s first CFP rankings will offer an updated look at the playoff bracket for Penn State football. Here’s how to watch.

After an eventful weekend of college football, including Penn State’s blowout win at home in the whiteout game against Washignton, the College Football Playoff selection committee will get back to work to organize an updated playoff ranking on Tuesday. With Miami and Georgia each taking losses and Alabama knocking out LSU this weekend, the playoff outlook should have some new looks going for it this week when the committee releases its second batch of College Football Playoff rankings. And while Penn State could potentially be moving up the rankings, their seeding in the projected playoff format may not be too different.

Penn State still finds itself in a difficult spot to grab one of the top four seeds in the playoff bracket as a path to the Big Ten championship game needs a decent amount of help still with only a few weeks remaining.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show

TV Channel: ESPN

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch CFP rankings reveal live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]

College Football Playoff rankings release date:

Date: Tuesday, November 12

What time are CFP rankings released?

Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Penn State football CFP rankings projection

After debuting at No. 6 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings a week ago, the Nittany Lions should be ready to move up a spot or two this week as the selection committee gathers to form this week’s rankings. Penn State should move ahead of Georgia, who lost to Ole Miss this weekend for its second loss of the season. Miami could also be hit hard by the committee after losing its first game of the season, to Georgia Tech.

Some of the questions to be answered by the committee will be how the committee feels about Penn State compared to Tennessee, another 8-1 program. The Vols have a loss to Arkansas but a win over Alabama, which looks better this week. Penn State is ranked ahead of Tennessee in the AP Top 25 this week by two spots but trails the Vols by one spot in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. Penn State was ranked one spot ahead of Tennessee last week in the playoff rankings.

The other lingering question is how the committee handles undefeated Indiana this week. The committee put the Hoosiers at No. 8 last week. Will the committee move the 10-0 Hoosiers up significantly this week? It will be interesting to see where BYU lands after pulling out a win against rival Utah to improve to 9-0.

The top two spots should be secured by Oregon and Ohio State, respectively, this week, and Texas figures to move up to No. 3 at the least this week.

As far as the playoff seedings are concerned, Penn State should be looking at the No. 6 or No. 7 seed after determining the top four seeds to potential conference champions.

How many teams are in College Football Playoff 2024?

For the first time, there will be 12 teams participating in the College Football Playoffs. There are five automatic bids for each of the Power Four conference champions and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. The remaining seven slots are given to the seven at-large teams.

Here is a full explanation of how the College Football Playoff will work.

Here is how the College Football Playoff would look if the traditional polls dictated the seeding.

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Best pictures from Penn State’s White Out victory vs. Washington

Check out some of the best photos from Penn State’s latest home game against Washington in front of a White Out crowd in Beaver Stadium.

The White Out atmosphere was electric, as it always is on Saturday evening, and Penn State made sure its fans went home happy. The Nittany Lions offense came out on fire, scoring on four straight drives to put the wheels in motion for a 35-6 win over the Washington Huskies. There were several notable moments, especially when Tyler Warren went airborne for a touchdown.

Penn State will look to keep the positive momentum going next week on the road against Purdue, which was trounced by Ohio State earlier on Saturday. Penn State must remain sharp to keep the possibility of hosting a College Football Playoff game alive.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s White Out against Washington.

Penn State bounces back with a commanding 35-6 White Out win over Washington

Penn State channels White Out atmosphere into an impressive win against Washington

After losing to Ohio State last weekend in a game where Penn State had every chance to win, the Nittany Lions needed a White Out-inspired game. They got just that Saturday evening against Washington, as Penn State took down the Huskies, 35-6. It was an impressive showing from a Penn State team that looked ready to put the Ohio State loss behind them.

Penn State’s offense started tremendously, scoring a touchdown on all four first-half drives. The Nittany Lion defense also came out to play, grabbing an interception on Washington’s third drive and making quarterback Will Rogers feel all sorts of pressure.

The Husky offense was limited to just two second-half field goals. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] was a massive factor in disrupting Washington’s offense, recording two sacks and four tackles for a loss.

Two of PSU’s first four drives were scored courtesy of [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], who lined up in the backfield on both two-yard touchdown runs. Warren was just part of Penn State’s impressive ground attack that broke down the Washington defensive front. [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag] all contributed to the running game, rushing for 266 yards as an offense. Smith saw his first extended action in a game this season and broke away for a 78-yard run on Penn State’s final drive.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was back to his efficient self, hitting on 20 of his 28 pass attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown. Allar was on point, throwing to his receivers over the middle, going through his progressions and being decisive. [autotag]Harrison Wallace[/autotag] was the biggest beneficiary, hauling in five catches for 84 yards.

Penn State ended the half with an impressive two-minute drive down the field, resulting in a two-yard Julian Fleming touchdown grab, the first touchdown by a Penn State wide receiver in Big Ten play. Kaytron Allen would add Penn State’s only second-half score with under five minutes to go in the game to completely ice away the game.

Despite switching quarterbacks in the second half, Washington could never overcome Penn State’s red-hot first half. The Nittany Lions will likely improve their standing within the next College Football Playoff rankings, with a couple of top 5 teams losing this weekend.

Penn State will be on the road next week to take on the Purdue. The Boilermakers were shut out 45-0 against Ohio State this weekend. Penn State and Purdue will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.

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Tyler Warren goes over the top for a Penn State touchdown against Washington

Penn State desperately needs a win after a deflating loss last week against Ohio State. Tyler Warren is doing his part with an incredible touchdown.

Penn State is looking to erase the memory of last week’s crushing loss against Ohio State, and there is no better way than a win in its annual White Out game. This year’s edition is against the Washington Huskies, one of the new faces to the Big Ten that came over from the dismantled Pac-12.

So far so good for Penn State as they have gotten off to a 21-0 lead, and two of those scores came courtesy of their breakout offensive star. [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] has done a little bit of everything for Penn State’s offense this season, and he added to his highlight reel with a spectacular wildcat touchdown.

Warren continues to show why Penn State’s offense often is run through him. He can line up anywhere on the offense and make an impact as a runner, receiver, blocker, and even a passer occasionally. It’s fair to wonder what Penn State would look like offensively if he had chosen to enter the NFL draft after last season.

It seems to have been the right move for both him and the team, however, as his draft stock has only gone up as he continues to showcase his versatility. He has racked up eight total touchdowns (four receiving, three rushing, and one passing) and could add more before the night ends with the way he is playing.

While many are wondering where his usage in the redzone was a week ago, it’s clear that the coaching staff wanted to correct that mistake this week.

 

 

Penn State adds top offensive tackle prospect to 2027 class

Penn State bolsters 2027 class with four-star offensive tackle

Penn State received a major commitment right before kickoff for the second straight week. Last weekend, four-star 2026 safety [autotag]Matt Sieg[/autotag] announced his commitment right before the Nittany Lions took on the Buckeyes. About an hour before Penn State’s White Out game against Washington, top 100 2027 offensive tackle [autotag]Layton Von Brandt[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.

Von Brandt is the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 42 player in the 2027 class. According to 247Sports, the tackle let James Franklin and the PSU coaching staff know his decision to commit on the field pregame before Saturday’s matchup versus Washington.

The 6-foot-5 lineman picked up an offer from Penn State in May and has been on campus several times since then. He is now Penn State’s second commit in the 2027 class, joining Pennsylvania running back [autotag]Kemon Spell[/autotag]. The Delaware native is the top player in the state and joins Spell as a top 60 prospect nationally.

Von Brandt held offers from nine other schools, including Georgia, Indiana, Rutgers, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

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Here is where Penn State ranked in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2024

Here is where Penn State ranked in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and who they would play.

After two months of watching college football, fans across the country got a first glimpse as to how the College Football Playoff selection committee is feeling about the season’s top teams so far. Not known to stay in synce with the traditional polls when the first batch of rankings are revealed, the selection committee’s first rankings reveal is always interesting to see. And with the playoff field expanded from four to 12 teams this season, there is even more interest in how the first rankings looked when revealed on Tuesday night.

As for Penn State, the playoff push is officially on.

Penn State ranked No. 6 in the initial playoff rankings for the 2024 season, which puts the Nittany Lions in a great spot for a home playoff game at the end of the year. Getting a top-four seed and a first-round bye is not out of the picture just yet, but pulling that off after losing to Ohio State this past weekend would be quite a challenge. But a No. 6 seed puts Penn State in the virtual driver’s seat for one of the four home playoff games.

Four Big Ten teams landed in the projected playoff field with Oregon (No. 1) and Ohio State (No. 2) taking the top two spots in the initial rankings and Indiana coming in at No. 8.

The top 12 teams as of Nov. 5

Here is what the top 12 looks like in the initial rankings.

  1. Oregon
  2. Ohio State
  3. Georgia
  4. Miami
  5. Texas
  6. Penn State
  7. Tennessee
  8. Indiana
  9. BYU
  10. Notre Dame
  11.  Alabama
  12. Boise State

If the season ended today, here are the first-round matchups

So how would the first round of the playoff look? The top four teams would get a bye week. The top four seeds would go to the four highest-ranked conference champions, regardless of overall ranking. As we have been doing on a weekly basis, let’s project the current conference champions based on the highest-ranked teams.

  • 5. Ohio State vs. 12. Boise State (Mountain West Conference champion)
  • 6. Texas vs. 11. Alabama
  • 7. Penn State vs. 10. Notre Dame
  • 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Indiana

Penn State would get a first-round home game against Notre Dame if these rankings held through the end of the season. A home playoff game in Beaver Stadium against Notre Dame would be a dream matchup, and the kind of matchup that is why the playoff expanded in the first place (the same is true of Alabama-Texas). Of course, there is a lot of football to be played, so this could all change a week from now (and it likely will!)

Penn State now knows where they stand after their first setback. The playoff is there for the taking. First up will be this week’s home game against Washington. This week’s whiteout game will be in primetime on Peacock.

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