At long last, the “real” 2025 season begins.
We all knew going into this season that the non-conference schedule would serve as more of a warm-up than previous years. Unlike past seasons, there was no West Virginia, Auburn, or Pitt on the docket to get an early-season test of the team’s mettle.
For a team like Penn State, returning many starters and hoping for another playoff berth (if not more), it was a good way to work out some kinks, rattle off three consecutive wins, and prepare for the Big Ten schedule.
Well, here we are, three weeks later, with the team as healthy as could be hoped for, and the Oregon Ducks coming to town.
The Ducks beat Penn State 45-37 in the 2024 Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the last time these two faced off. Penn State returned the majority of that team, while the Ducks have undergone a bit more turnover.
Still, Oregon has one of the more robust NIL war chests in the country, and another batch of transfers have the Ducks flying high yet again.
Coming off an undefeated start to the season of their own, Oregon has wins over both Oklahoma State and Oregon State under its belt, as well as a conference win over Northwestern.
The White Out will present a unique challenge for the Ducks, as Dan Lanning has yet to play in a primetime game at Beaver Stadium. With Game Day coming to town, and featuring two top 10 teams (if not top 5), the atmosphere will be electric.
The “real season” starts now for Penn State. The team has had 3 easy games and a bye week to sort things out, and it is officially time to buckle up the chin straps and prove themselves.
It’s go time.
