It's Penn State-West Virginia week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more

Penn State game week is here, Nittany Lions fans! The offseason is finally over and just days now separate us from the first contest of the 2023 season. West Virginia invades Beaver Stadium on Saturday night for a primetime showdown in front of an expected sold-out crowd.

Get ready for kickoff with our early look ahead to the contest below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. NBC will air the game as it debuts ‘Big Ten Saturday Night.’ Before the contest begins, a special pregame show will also air from outside of Beaver Stadium. Noah Eagle (play by play), Penn State alum Todd Blackledge (color analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter) will call the contest.

Those wishing to stream the matchup can do so on subscription service Peacock.

What is the Penn State-West Virginia spread?

Sportsbooks opened the line at Penn State -20 back in June. It now sits at -20.5 entering game week. For those unaware, that means anyone backing the Lions needs them to win by 21 points or more to win their wager. If the Mountaineers win or lose by 20 or less, anyone backing the Big 12 side would cash.

Game week schedule for the Lions

The schedule is set to be similar to what it has been in years past. There will be no media availability on Monday. On Tuesday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.

Outside of a potential spot on a pregame show, that will be it for the week until Franklin’s postgame news conference, with players following him.

What’s up with West Virginia?

The Mountaineers are still working through numerous position battles entering game week. Head coach Neal Brown has been coy with reporters when it comes to answering questions about who his quarterback will be. The job will either go to junior Garrett Greene or redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol. The Mountaineers know internally who has the job, the fifth-year coach said. But, that information apparently won’t leave Morgantown until the team arrives in State College this weekend.

Expectations are extremely low for WVU this season. The team is picked to finish dead last in the Big 12. And, the program only had one preseason All-Big 12 team pick: Offensive lineman Zach Frazier.

Weather report

The early forecast calls for a dry day with partly cloudy skies and a high of 81. Temps will drop a bit closer to kickoff but it will be a seasonably warm day on the first Saturday of September.

Early Penn State-West Virginia storylines

–Is Drew Allar ready for his first start? It’s true that he should not have to do much to lead the Lions to victory. But, fans will want to see him do some things they have long envisioned he can. What happens if the first few drives don’t go as planned and the groaning begins? Will he handle it well? Conversely, is there room for the hype plane to climb further if he leads the Lions on three straight scoring drives? We’re about to find all of that out and more.

–Will Penn State have any special teams blunders? It’s a big question mark right now. James Franklin said last Wednesday he thought the competition created by transfers Riley Thompson at punter and Alex Felkins at kicker was good for the program. But are either of them, or the players they challenged in Alex Bacchetta and Sander Sahaydak, respectively, ready to take the bull by the horns and consistently show why they are the guy?

–What tricks will Neal Brown have up his sleeve? A three score underdog who is not projected to make a bowl game should pull out every trick it has to try and secure a marquee road win. And, West Virginia has had all offseason to plan for it. Expect a few trick plays and perhaps a surprise onside kick.

–Last but not least, will former Nittany Lions Lance Dixon and Fatorma Mulbah contribute anything significant for WVU in this game? And, will onetime Penn State target and receiver Rodney Gallagher dazzle in his collegiate debut or be shut down?