Tag: UMass Minutemen

Staff predictions: Penn State an easy pick vs. UMass

The staff of Nittany Lions Wire shares their Week 7 predictions for Penn State vs. UMass.

Penn State is back on the football field this weekend with a homecoming game against UMass. Penn State is a heavy favorite this week, and it is easy to see why. Penn State is a legitimate top 10 team this season while the Minutemen have not won since Week 0. That makes this week’s game prediction from the Nittany Lions Wire staff an easy one to make.

In short, we’re already in the mood to start preparing for next week’s big game on the road at Ohio State. But, here are our official predictions for Penn State’s game against UMass.

Brad Wakai, Contributor

Penn State returns to action off their bye facing a UMass team that has given up tons of points to opposing teams. This should be an easy watch for Penn State fans as they win 49-7.

Final score: Penn State 49, UMass 7

Season record: 5-0

Season record ATS: 5-0

Kevin McGuire, Editor

I have historically wondered how slow some Penn State teams would come out of a bye week, but this is not one of those times. Penn State is a total mismatch for UMass in every facet of the game and I fully expect the points to come fast for the offense and the defense will continue to dominate. I’m counting on a massive day on the ground from Nick Singleton, although he may get an early rest to stay healthy for next week’s game.

I’m also done performing so poorly against the spread. Shame on me.

Final score: Penn State 56, UMass 6

Season record: 5-0

Season record ATS: 1-4

ESPN FPI predicts Penn State’s remaining schedule

The updated ESPN FPI is predicting a College Football Playoff push for Penn State after the bye week.

Penn State isn’t technically at the midpoint of its season, but the bye week is a good chance to take a look at where Penn State is going in its second half. Penn State enters its bye week with a 5-0 record and a solid top-10 ranking in the polls, and the expectations for this season continue to be met, if not elevated.

Penn State’s biggest challenges are still to come with division games against Ohio State and Michigan highlighting the remainder of the regular season. And a road game at Maryland continues to look like it could be trickier and trickier as the weeks go by. If Penn State is going to make a push for the Big Ten championship, and perhaps a spot in the College Football Playoff, it has a challenging schedule to navigate to do so.

With Penn State in its bye week, let’s take a look to see how ESPN’s Football Power Index is forecasting the remainder of Penn State’s regular season schedule. Here is every game left on the schedule and the percentage chance Penn State has of winning each remaining game. As you can see, the ESPN FPI outlook is a promising one!

Kickoff time and TV info for Penn State’s next home game confirmed

What channel will the Penn State vs. UMass football game be on? Here’s the answer.

Penn State is enjoying a little downtime this week after a 5-0 start. Following its 41-13 road win at Northwestern last weekend, the Nittany Lions get an extra week to prepare for Massachusetts on Oct. 14.

The game was previously announced as a mid-afternoon start time, but now we know where to find the game on TV.

The Big Ten Network will air Penn State’s home game against UMass at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 14. It will be the first 3:30 p.m. kickoff of the year for the Nittany Lions, who have played at noon or in prime time each week so far.

UMass won its home opener but has dropped five consecutive games, including a road loss at Auburn. UMass has a game this weekend against Toledo, and it is a nearly 20-point underdog. So there seems to be a decent chance UMass could make its way to Happy Valley with a 1-6 record.

Penn State and UMass have met once before. Penn State handled the Minutemen, 48-7, in 2014. Christian Hackenberg passed for 179 yards and Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton each rushed for two touchdowns in the win. Akeel Lynch rushed for 81 yards for the Nittany Lions.

This will be the second game on the schedule to appear on Big Ten Network. Penn State’s last game at Northwestern also aired on Big Ten Network.

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McGuire’s Musings: Notre Dame and USC off to the races in Week 0

The first McGuire’s Musings of the college football season is here! Week 0 quick thoughts and reactions, updated playoff projection, and more.

After months of waiting and talking nothing but conference realignment, college football games finally returned to our lives this weekend. Week 0 served as a light appetizer for the grand opening of the college football season with a couple of power conference teams with high hopes for the 2023 season getting their seasons started with comfortable victories, but it was a week where even the most diehard college football fans could afford to take another Saturday to do other things without really skipping a beat.

That was the case for me. Instead of scheduling my day around the college football programming, I had a fun game night with some family where I learned to play a new game (and nearly won), but the eyes were distracted at times by the games on TV as my wife’s cousin kept track of his fantasy college football stats.

But it was good to have college football back. My focus has been on another potential playoff run for the Phillies developing, but anyone who knows me probably knows I am all in on college football once again. This is the first week I really ramp up my commentary and focus on college football, and each week I hope to share some of my thoughts about Penn State and the rest of the Big Ten and national scene with my weekly roundup thoughts in what I like to call McGuire’s Musings.

This idea has been around for a few years on a couple of different outlets and I am happy to once again share it with you here on Nittany Lions Wire each week throughout the season.

So, let’s dive in, shall we?

College football is back! Your Week 0 viewing guide

Notre Dame vs. Navy in Ireland. USC and Caleb Williams back on the field. And hello Rich Rodriguez! College football is back! Week 0 viewing guide.

College football fans have long been awaiting this weekend. The start of a brand new college football season officially kicks off with what is the appetizer to the grand opening of the sport’s 2023 season coming up next weekend. The Week 0 lineup of games is light on the menu, as it customarily is, but any amount of college football on our screens this weekend will be welcomed as we bring a close to the summer.

Penn State fans may have to wait one more week to join in the festivities, but the Week 0 schedule will help set the mood for the routine many of us will be diving into for the rest of the fall.

Notre Dame and USC are the only power conference programs in action this weekend, but anytime you can have a rivalry game played and a returning Heisman Trophy winner take the field, that helps make for a fun opening weekend of college football.

All games referenced below will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26.

Nittany Lions Wire game-by-game staff predictions for Penn State in 2023

Game-by-game predictions for Penn State football from the Nittany Lions Wire staff for the 2023 season.

The expectations for Penn State football in 2023 are pretty high, and it is easy to see why. Coming off an 11-2 season capped by a victory in the Rose Bowl with some big-time players on both sides of the football to look forward to this fall, and a new starting quarterback with plenty of hype, good things could be coming to Penn State this season.

Penn State is starting off the season with a consensus no. 7 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the AP Top 25, and the FWAA Super 16 Poll. That puts Penn State firmly on the radar for a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff appearance, although the big question is whether or not the Nittany Lions can get ahead of either Ohio State or Michigan, or both!

Below are the game-by-game staff predictions from Nittany Lions Wire editor Kevin McGuire and contributor Brad Wakai for the upcoming Penn State football season. As you’ll see, the optimism runs pretty deep here for the season we are about to witness. What could possibly go wrong?

Power ranking Penn State’s 2023 schedule from easiest to toughest game

Power-ranking Penn State’s schedule from the easiest matchups to the toughest, and which games are the biggest possible traps.

Hopes are high for Penn Stater football in 2023, and it is easy to understand why.

The Nittany Lions are coming off an 11-2 season with a Rose Bowl victory. They possess a dynamic running back duo, a solid defense, arguably the best offensive line of the James Franklin era and a rising star in the making at quarterback. That is a great deal to look forward to this season in Happy Valley.

Penn State also has a fairly favorable schedule that could help lead to a good start and build confidence for some tougher matchups later in the year. A lot could hinge on what happens early in the season, but Penn State’s schedule is not only manageable but one that could pave a path to a possible Big Ten title shot with a spot in the College Football Playoff awaiting.

Here is a look at Penn State’s schedule starting with the easiest opponents on the schedule up to the most difficult games on the schedule this fall for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State confirms kickoff times for five games in 2023

Penn State announces start times and TV info for four more games, updates one primetime matchup

Already with a few primetime matchups locked in for the upcoming college football season, Penn State now has four more games set for the 2023 season, including a pair of Big Noon Kickoff games on FOX. The highlight of the latest schedule updates from Penn State is the confirmed start time for the big home game against Michigan. And the first game to be made exclusively on NBC’s streaming app is now confirmed as well.

Penn State will host Delaware on September 9 with a noon kickoff. The game will be made exclusively available on Peacock, the streaming app from NBC. This will mark the first time Penn State will have a football game exclusively available on a streaming app, but it almost certainly will not be the last. All games appearing on NBC are also available on Peacock, but this is the first game to be exclusive to the streaming service.

Penn State will be featured in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff time slot twice this season. A road game at Illinois on September 16 will be the Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX. As previously rumored, Penn State will get the Big Noon Kickoff timeslot for its home game against two-time Big Ten champion Michigan on November 11.

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Penn State also announced the start time for its home game against UMass on October 14, although the network airing the game is still to be determined. Given how the schedule is coming together, this could be a Big Ten Network game, but that is pure speculation at this point. No game has been designated for BTN at this point in time.

Penn State has also confirmed an adjustment to its primetime schedule. The whiteout game against Iowa, set for September 23 on CBS, has been moved up to 7:30 p.m. from 8:00 p.m.

That gives seven games on the schedule a confirmed start time and six of those have confirmed broadcast partners. Here is the breakdown of where Penn State has been confirmed for the programming schedule so far;

  • 2 games on NBC (with Peacock simulcast)
  • 2 games on FOX
  • 1 game on CBS
  • 1 game on Peacock

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Ranking Penn State’s 2023 opponents’ pass defense

As Penn State breaks in Drew Allar at QB, how did Penn State’s opponents in 2023 rank in pass defense last season?

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] is expected to take over the Penn State offense this year after sitting behind [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]. The questions remain though of how will he handle talking on the larger role and whether he can live up to the hype of being a top prospect.

Allar has shown he is very much up to the task of impressing coaches during workouts this winter and early spring. Clifford’s work ethic seems to have made a lasting impact and could give Allar a jumpstart on his new career as the starter and star of the program.

It is worth taking a look though at what type of defenses he will be facing this year. Here is where each Penn State opponent in 2023 ranked in terms of passing defense in 2022.

Here is Penn State’s updated 2023 football schedule

Here is Penn State’s newly updated 2023 football schedule that will be sure to annoy James Franklin.

The Big Ten released its fully updated conference schedule for the 2023 season to accommodate necessary changes made to the football calendar in recent years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Penn State, only a few changes were made from what the 2023 schedule once originally had, including the moving of a non-conference matchup with UMass.

And if head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is tired of having to open Big Ten play on the road, he’s not going to like what is in store in 2023. Penn State will open its Big Ten schedule on the road at Illinois on September 16 before hosting Iowa the following weekend on September 23. Franklin voiced his gripes about Penn State consistently opening conference play on the road, as was the case this season at Purdue in Week 1.

Penn State’s home game against Michigan was moved back on the calendar to November 11 after originally being in mid-October. From the looks of the schedule, Penn State’s biggest games at Ohio State (Oct. 21) and home against Michigan will be separated by two games; a home game against Indiana and a road trip to Maryland.

Penn State will close out the 2023 season on the road at Michigan State, and the final home game of the season will be played against Rutgers.

Penn State’s season opener remains in place against West Virginia of the Big 12, reviving one of the classic regional series from the days before Penn State joined the Big Ten and West Virginia joined the Big East. Penn State will visit West Virginia to open the 2024 season.

The Big Ten schedule for 2024 has yet to be confirmed by the conference at this time, although there are other factors in play. The 2024 season is when the Big Ten is expected to add USC and UCLA as conference members, which should open the door for the conference scheduling model to be given a full overhaul. For now, the division format remains unchanged in 2023, but changes will be incoming soon enough.

Here is the full 2023 Penn State football schedule, although changes could always be made for TV purposes with a potential Thursday or Friday game thrown in the mix.

2023 Penn State Football Schedule

(* = Big Ten Conference game)

  • Sept. 2 vs. West Virginia
  • Sept. 9 vs. Delaware
  • Sept. 16 at Illinois*
  • Sept. 30 vs. Iowa*
  • Oct. 14 vs. UMass
  • Oct. 21 at Ohio State*
  • Oct. 28 vs. Indiana*
  • Nov. 4 at Maryland*
  • Nov. 11 vs. Michigan*
  • Nov. 18 vs. Rutgers*
  • Nov. 25 at Michigan State*

Check out all of Penn State’s confirmed future schedules HERE.

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