Ohio State announced its Week 10 match against the Penn State football team on Nov. 1 will be one of its three "color out" games of the season. The Nittany Lions will face an all-stadium black out when they travel to The Horseshoe.
That means Penn State's two biggest games of its season will be in high-stakes stadiums. At home, the Nittany Lions designated Week 5 against Oregon as the season's White Out game. They're currently in favor of beating the Ducks, kicking off conference play with a strong win and being the first loss of Oregon's season as well.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford said the White Out will be "one of the most intimidating environments in the country this fall," but then Penn State must head to another Top 25 opponent. This time, the stadium isn't in favor of the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State v. Penn State is a must-watch for Big Ten fans, and potentially the biggest game of the college football season across the country. The Buckeyes are the toughest opponent the Nittany Lions must face in order to not only secure their College Football Playoff spot, but prove they can win it all.
Crawford, though, doesn't think Week 10 will fall in favor of Penn State. Now with Ohio State naming the game as its black out of the season, the odds are stacked against the Nittany Lions just how they stacked the odds against the Ducks.
"The Buckeyes are [head coach] James Franklin's Kryptonite. Something about those uniforms seems to rattle him, leading to poor execution and questionable decisions. Ohio State has won eight straight in the series and should make it nine," Crawford wrote. "This might not be the only time the two meet this fall."
While Penn State might face its first loss of the season at The Horseshoe, that energy can't carry over into Week 11. Indiana is the third most important game of the season for the Nittany Lions, especially if they lose to Ohio State the week prior.
In order for Penn State to be a legit, top contender for the CFP and impress the committee, it needs to make the most of its games against Top 25 teams. For the Nittany Lions in 2025, that means beating at least two out of its three strongest opponents (Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana). Unfortunately for them, they now must enter a more intimidating, high-pressure environment against its biggest Big Ten foe of 2025.