Which Penn State Football game makes the most sense to host the 2022 White Out?

With some rumors swirling that this year’s Penn State vs Ohio State game might not be a primetime game, many fans have tossed around the idea of deploying the White Out for a different opponent, to try to ensure that it takes place under the lights.

While that’s not necessarily a bad idea, there are still some obstacles. Just because Penn State announces that the White Out will take place for a certain game, does not mean that whatever TV company has the rights to that game will put it in their primetime slot.

How do we decide which game makes the most sense to be this year’s White Out?

First and foremost, the White Out should NOT be a game that is broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

The White Out is the biggest event on campus every year (second biggest behind THON in terms of importance, but the biggest in terms of capturing a national audience). Being the spectacle that it is, it deserves a to be seen nationwide, which not only is great for the football program from a recruiting perspective, but it is also great publicity for the school and the community.

So that eliminates some games such as non-conference matchups against the Ohio Bobcats and the Central Michigan Chippewas. There is a good chance that those games are picked up by the Big Ten Network, and they would certainly put the game in their primetime slot if it were the White Out, but the Big Ten Network does not reach a national audience like ESPN/ABC or FOX does.

The game that I have seen thrown around the most by Penn State Football fans to be this year’s White Out has been Northwestern, but there are two problems with that, the first being the fact that there is a fair chance that game is also a Big Ten Network game, and we already discussed the issues with that.

The second issue with the Northwestern game being the White Out, is that these are some featured games across the country that day.

• Alabama at Arkansas
• LSU at Auburn
• Kentucky at Ole Miss
• Oklahoma State at Baylor (rematch of last year’s Big 12 Championship)
• Michigan at Iowa (rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship)
• Purdue at Minnesota
• NC State at Clemson

With all those games, plus a few other solid matchups scheduled for that day, the chances that Penn State vs Northwestern gets a primetime slot on national television are extremely slim, even if it is the White Out.

Another matchup that makes sense, at least in terms of the opponent, is Michigan State. Although unfortunately, that game taking place on the final week of the regular season poses a few issues, the first of which is the time of kickoff.

The Big Ten rarely holds primetime kickoffs in November, primarily due to the temperature drop as the night goes on. The latest the game would kick off would be 3:30, which wouldn’t be a huge issue due to the early sunset at that time of the year, but it still wouldn’t be dark at kickoff.

The second issue is once again the weather.

Remember in 2018 when parking was affected for both the Wisconsin and Maryland games due to inclement weather, which – along with potentially hazardous driving conditions – kept many fans at home altogether for those matchups. We don’t want to risk that for the White Out.

Finally, in the final week of the regular season, Penn State struggles to surpass an attendance of 100,000 – primarily due to fair-weather fans, both literally and figuratively.

It seems like any time the projected temperature on gameday is below 45 degrees, many fans shy away from Beaver Stadium, regardless of what is on the line. The 2016 Michigan State game, with the division, a trip to the Big Ten Championship, and (potentially at that time) a trip to the College Football Playoff on the line, and Beaver Stadium only saw an attendance of 97,418 … because of the cold.

That’s not exactly a White Out worthy attendance.

Plus, if the Nittany Lions lose more than a couple games by that final week of the season, potentially making them unranked, many fans that are fair weathered in the figurative sense, will also stay home.

So, what game makes the most sense to host the 2022 White Out?

Minnesota.

Behind Ohio State and Michigan State, the Golden Gophers are the best team on Penn State’s home schedule. That game also just happens to be this year’s Homecoming game, a potential two-for-one special.

Plus, maybe the Nittany Lions could sport their Generations of Greatness uniforms for that game like they usually do on Homecoming, which features white cleats – a perfect fit for the White Out.

Minnesota could possibly be ranked to begin the season (if not, they’ll be close), and they are also a dark horse team in the Big Ten west. Most notably, the Nittany Lions will be thirsty for revenge for the heartbreaking loss they suffered at Minnesota in 2019, a game that ended their undefeated season and derailed their College Football Playoff hopes.

Here are some of the featured games across the country for week eight, when the Nittany Lions take on the Gophers.

• Ole Miss at LSU
• Texas A&M at South Carolina
• Texas at Oklahoma State
• Purdue at Wisconsin
• Iowa at Ohio State

Not nearly as impressive of a weekend of games as week five is, when Penn State plays Northwestern, so it would be much more likely that the White Out gets a primetime slot on a national network in week eight.

There you have it Penn State fans, if you’re going to use your powerful voices and words to try to convince the university to schedule the White Out for a game other than Ohio State (we’ll Stripe Out Beaver Stadium for the Buckeyes instead), let them know that you want it to be the Minnesota game. That way, we increase our chances that it’s an exciting game, televised to a national audience, and most importantly, that it takes place under the lights.