James Franklin & PSU Target Oregon Flaw Only 4 Other B1G Teams Can Exploit

White Out week is finally here! No. 3 Penn State (3-0) hosts No. 6 Oregon (4-0) at Beaver Stadium this Saturday. This is the second time in White Out history that both teams ranked within the AP top 10 poll play, after OSU vs. PSU in 2018. The Nittany Lions and Ducks have met just five times, with Penn State holding the series 3-2. Despite being a rare matchup, Dan Lanning‘s Ducks gave sleepless nights to James Franklin‘s Lions by defeating them 45-37 in the 2024 Big Ten Championship. But this game may not follow a similar script due to a distinct advantage that Penn State enjoys.

On the September 23 edition of the SVPod podcast on ESPN, Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve discussed the Week 5 matchups of college football. While Penn State vs. Oregon’s “White Out” game was brought up for discussion, Stanford Steve said that Penn State playing in Beaver Stadium for the Big 10 games is a huge advantage. He brought to notice that Penn State is among the few Big 10 conference teams that play on natural grass. 

“One observation… Penn State, Beaver Stadium, Big 10 Football. How many other teams play on natural grass?… Northwestern, Purdue, USC, Michigan State… that is five of 43 teams that are currently in the league… I feel like it’s an advantage,” Stanford Steve claims. “Like you think of Oregon, they’re speed. I watched them sweep deep balls. Oregon is 0-1 on grass against the spread. Give me the White Out.”

Oregon’s Autzen Stadium used to be a natural grass field until 1969, when it was replaced with artificial turf. The last time Oregon played on a grass field was back in 1974, when Northwestern hosted Oregon, where the Wildcats defeated the Ducks 14-10. This will be the first time Oregon plays on a grass field, especially during a White Out game. The Nittany Lions are 13-8, and the fans claim that they don’t lose at home at night.

But a bigger issue for the Ducks is to make the transition from turf to grass. On the other hand, it’s the home field for the Lions, suited for their run-heavy offense. Dante Moore’s long passes could get eliminated. Not by Jim Knowles’ defense. Just by the grass.

Betting odds favorite: Oregon vs Penn State

According to ESPN’s report, the Nittany Lions are the 3.5-point favorites over the Ducks. However, the report suggests that the odds opened in favor of Penn State with 4.5, and are now moving towards Oregon. The money line for Oregon is +140, and the point total is 52.5. Oregon’s aggressive 41-7 win against Oregon State last week and Penn State being on the bye week are considered major reasons for movement in the odds.

One of the key players to watch out for on the Oregon side is their QB, Dante Moore. The 20-year-old has been the game-changer for the Ducks so far, especially with his passing game. In the four games he played, he completed 71 of 95 passes, throwing 962 yards for 11 touchdowns. On the Penn State side, it’s their QB Drew Allar, who gave a tough fight against Oregon in last year’s game. In that game, he passed for 226 yards for 3 touchdowns but was intercepted twice.

With all the media glazing of Penn State’s ‘White Out’ atmosphere, Dan Lanning is going the extra yard to prepare his players. In the past, his rousing speeches did the job for the Ducks, but against a head coach looking to prove that he is not what his record against top 10 opponents suggests, the night’s going to be difficult for the defending B1G champions.