No. 8 Penn State Football made an emphatic statement that head coach James Franklin‘s Nittany Lions belong in the national conversation, with a blowout victory over West Virginia to open the 2024 season.
After Andy Kotelnicki’s offense used motion to perfection while quarterback Drew Allar carved up the Mountaineers’ defense and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen exploded, Penn State returns home to Beaver Stadium as over four-score favorites against Bowling Green.
Here are our staff picks and predictions for how Saturday’s contest against Bowling Green plays out for Penn State.
Penn State Football vs. Bowling Green Picks, Predictions
Robert Casturo, Senior Content Editor
Penn State is coming off of a physically and emotionally draining season-opening win over West Virginia and returning home to face a lower-tier opponent in Bowling Green. While Penn State should easily outmatch the Falcons in all three phases of the game based on roster makeup, the game may be closer than Vegas and people think if rain plays a part Saturday. I have Penn State winning easily, but not covering with Penn State focusing on getting young players involved and getting to the early season bye week.
The Pick: Penn State 34, Bowling Green 7.
Joe Staszak, Senior Penn State Football Reporter
Saturday’s game vs Bowling Green shouldn’t be a letdown game for Penn State like most folks think.
That is as long as they continue to play with a chip on their shoulder like they did last week in Morgantown. It’s also the home opener and if you can’t get up to play in front of 110,000 of your closest friends and family members then you’re probably in the wrong business.
Penn State is 46-1 when entering halftime with a double-digit lead under James Franklin and as a 35-point favorite, Penn State should have a comfortable lead at the half in this one as well.
Bowling Green is a run heavy squad but the Nittany Lions will probably have none of that as they once again boast one of the top run defenses in the nation.
So, look for Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak, a sixth-year senior who is in his second year with the Falcons after stops at Missouri and Indiana, to put it up a bit more than usual especially if his team finds themselves trailing heavy in the game.
It would at least give Penn State’s dazzling safeties to showcase their skills like they did in week one.
K.J. Winston earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors, while his counterpart Jaylen Reed had a standout performance as well, with nine tackles, a fumble recovery, a Tackle For Loss and two pass breakups. That’s a heck of a day!
The cornerbacks more than held their own as well, as A.J. Harris and Jalen Kimber both seem to be prize finds from the portal for a position group that needed to reload from last season.
Penn State starters will get a good chunk of the second half off after blistering that Falcons’ defense with their new-look quick-strike offense.
The Nittany Lions go to 2-0 as they roll to victory on Saturday.
The Pick: Penn State 51, Bowling Green 13
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Daniel Fisher, Penn State Football Reporter
Penn State got the season off to a great start last week when they went into West Virginia and got a 34-17, and now they are looking to keep that great play going against Bowling Green this week.
Bowling Green should be an easier opponent, but the Nittany Lions shouldn’t take them lightly. With that being said, it should be a great day for quarterback Drew Allar and the offense to keep moving the ball down the field in the air and for the defense to keep the Falcons out of the endzone.
Penn State wins this game easily, and they get another step closer to Big Ten play.
The Pick: Penn State 45, Bowling Green 6
Brad Kulp, Penn State Football Reporter
The Nittany Lions looked strong in their opening week against West Virginia, showcasing some impressive changes. However, there are still a few kinks to work out, and depth players need as much playing time as possible before the tougher part of the season begins.
The kicking game, in particular, needs attention, and this week’s matchup against Bowling Green is the perfect opportunity for a tune-up. With rain in the forecast, expect a slower-paced game that may resemble a scrimmage. The primary goal: avoid injuries.
Penn State takes a “maintenance day” and wins.
The Pick: Penn State 53, Bowling Green 10
Dustin Howard, Penn State Football Reporter
The line is soaring in Penn State’s direction going into the two final full days before kickoff. Hard to argue against a game where the Lions swarm and build a big lead early. The spread of 35 starts to push into nervous territory, but the wild card is the ability of Penn State’s second-stringers to actually build on a lead if/when the bench is emptied.
The pick: Penn State 52, Bowling Green 10
Evan Smith, Senior Penn State Basketball Reporter
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He has been recognized for his work as a photographer and has also contributed to various publications including PennLive and The Weather Channel.
Brad is an Air Force veteran, coach and competitive runner that grew up a Nittany Lions fan as his family is originally from the State College area.
His diverse skillset and experiences provide for interesting perspectives on the college football, and sports topics of the day.
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