Penn State football is coming off two consecutive losses to Oregon and UCLA. The Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) seek their first conference win to start the remainder of the season on the right foot.
Head coach James Franklin said to media throughout the week that his team did not bounce back the way he thought it would after Week 5. During practices, the blue and white had a new, competitive edge that wasn't around in preparation for the Bruins. The players are embodying the "1-0" mentality and pushed each other throughout the week to take their games to the next level.
Northwestern is coming off a dominant win over Louisiana Monroe, 42-7, and also beat UCLA 17-14 the week prior. The Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) look to extend their two-game win streak, upset Penn State, and essentially kill its playoff contention chances. A win over the Nittany Lions will be a signature win that can carry over into a soon-difficult schedule in the back half of the season. Northwestern faces USC, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois in its last four games of 2025.
On Saturday, both teams head into a stadium packed with fans against them. Penn State disappointed its crowd far too many times already in 2025, and it's not a long shot for the blue and white to face a hostile environment on its own field. That doesn't mean the Wildcats suddenly gained a mass amount of support on the road, though. They will still need to overcome a homecoming, Stripe Out crowd that — when all is said and done — wants deep down for the Nittany Lions to prove themselves and rise from the ashes.
Line: Penn State +21.5
Money Line: Penn State -1800 / Northwestern +980
Over/Under: 47.5
Here are our team's predictions for how Saturday's Nittany Lions v. Wildcats contest plays out:
Sydney Ciano - Penn State 31, Northwestern 20
The Nittany Lions must win out in order to make the College Football Playoff. Saturday is the first step in doing so, but even though they're projected as the favorite in this game, they proved that unranked teams can and will upset them. Penn State's response is a huge indicator as to its fate in the postseason.
Quarterback Drew Allar's confidence was a little brighter in Week 6, and continuing that into Week 7 can spark an offense that has been relatively lackluster. Getting the run game back into action will make the Nittany Lions look more like the team they promised. Running back Kaytron Allen has been the star of the backfield duo, so utilizing him more can make a huge difference if the coaches opt for that winning mentality. If Allar shows up in rhythm, the pass game won't be entirely disappointing either. All that needs to happen is offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to trust his third year starter under center, and the offense will roll quite well. If Kotelnicki calls accordingly, expect Penn State to show up offensively with a purpose, looking more like a team it should have been on the road against UCLA.
As for the defense, that's where things get sticky. Without linebacker Tony Rojas, Penn State's defense was exploited. Linebacker and third-year captain Dominic DeLuca wasn't a terible fill-in for Rojas given his experience, but the Nittany Lions ned a quarterback spy. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton had flashes of promise against the Bruins, but neither consistent nor effective enough to be of any impact. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles won't allow a performance like that to trickle into the next game, which means the defense will be more refined. It's had another week and an in-game performance to figure out how it overcomes the loss of Rojas. Northwestern will put up a fight, but Penn State has a lot more to lose.
Asher Fair - Penn State 34, Northwestern 23
Myles Hannak - Penn State 38, Northwestern 21