Penn State’s biggest non-conference test came in Week 1 at West Virginia. The Nittany Lions defeated the Mountaineers 34-12 and showed an impressive offensive performance under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Now, in Week 2, Drew Allar will have another opportunity to show off his newfound aggressiveness under Kotelnicki against Bowling Green. The Falcons also went 1-0 in Week 1, beating Fordham 41-17. Last season, Bowling Green finished 7-6, losing to Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Penn State is a heavy favorite in the team’s home opener at Beaver Stadium on Saturday with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. Let’s look at the odds for Penn State and Bowling Green.
These odds are available at the FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Penn State’s offense was the most important thing in Week 1, and Allar’s unit should impress against weaker competition in Week 2, but the defense will be the reason Penn State dominates. In 2023, Manny Diaz’s defense was No. 1 in the country against the run, allowing 75.5 rushing yards per game.
Then, in Week 1, Tony Rojas and Jaylen Reed, with new DC Tom Allen, led the defense to a dominant performance, allowing just 85 yards on the ground against one of the nation’s best running teams. In 2023, West Virginia ranked fourth in the country with a 228.9-yard ground average and the Mountaineers returned three 750-yard rushers in CJ Donaldson Jr., Jahiem White and quarterback Garrett Greene.
Last week against Fordham, Bowling Green ran for 305 yards, led by Terion Stewart, who finished with 161 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. That efficiency on the ground just won’t be available Saturday in Happy Valley, so even with veteran sixth-year quarterback Connor Bazelak, the Falcons will struggle to score points, and Penn State should pull out a clean sweep. I’m picking the Nittany Lions to win 44-6.
Last season, Penn State finished 5-1 against the spread as a home favorite, and James Franklin, 33-23-2 ATS as Penn State head coach, is the favorite entering this matchup at Beaver Stadium.
