Week 1 is here for Penn State fans as the Nittany Lions prepare for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Beaver Stadium against the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Saturday afternoon marks the start of head coach James Franklin's 12th season in Happy Valley. While expectations for the 2025 season looms over him, Penn State's first game at home against Nevada will showcase the level of talent on his team full of returners and veterans from quarterback Drew Allar to
Line: Penn State -42.5
Money Line: N/A
Over/Under: 53.5
Here are our staff's predictions for how Saturday's Nittany Lions v. Wolf Pack contest plays out:
Josh Yourish:
With seven of the top 10 teams in the country starting new quarterbacks in Week 1, Drew Allar and the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the most well-known commodities in the country. James Franklin kept enough talent in Happy Valley to contend for a national championship in his 12th year at the helm, and he’s not going to risk losing any of it early in the season with the softest non-conference schedule in the country. Penn State played 16 games last season. Franklin knows how important it is to keep his team fresh, so as soon as he develops a comfortable lead over Nevada on Saturday, he’ll shut it down, bring in the young guys, and cruise to a comfortable victory.
Penn State 42, Nevada 6
Myles Hannak:
While Penn State has one of the strongest rosters in 2025, there are various wide receiver newcomers and departures of key players like No. 1 receiving target Tyler Warren. The blue and white will likely coast to an easy win, but that doesn’t mean it will immediately be flashy, especially as the passing game begins to mesh.
With star DC Jim Knowles debuting and an offensive line that James Franklin touted in his weekly presser, there is reason to expect Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will run the ball heavily in leading Penn State alongside an ironclad defense.
Penn State 51, Nevada 3
Sydney Ciano
James Franklin said the team is focusing on one game at a time, no matter if it's Ohio State or Nevada. Penn State is coming in as the clear favorite, but it's not going to let its guard down. There's no reason why Week 1 shouldn't be a cakewalk for the Nittany Lions and fans should expect to see some less familiar faces on the field once they shut the Wolf Pack down.
Both sides of the ball are loaded with talent and experience. Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen in the backfield are paired with the latest additions to the receivers on the perimeter on offense. The solid offensive line won't allow Nevada to infiltrate meanwhile the Penn State defense is going to swallow up the Wolf Pack offense. It'll be the first glimpses of Jim Knowles' defensive scheme, the Nittany Lions' upgraded wide receiver room, and likely younger players and even some true freshmen.
Penn State 49, Nevada 6