Penn State listed among teams with 'pivot point' games early in the 2025 season: Newsstand
Penn State football starts the college football season with three non-conference games in which it will be at least a five-touchdown favorite, if not more. Then, the Lions’ first big test in 2025 takes place when Oregon comes to town for the White Out game on Sept. 27 at Beaver Stadium. The contest, which is a rematch of last year’s Big Ten title game won by the Ducks, is one of On3 national college football writer Andy Staples’ “pivot point” games early in the season. Staples describes them as “the wins that can launch a successful streak or the losses that send a team tumbling toward a failed season.”
“This will be the first major test for a new-look Ducks team that had to replace first-rounders on both lines of scrimmage and veteran quarterback,” Staples writes. “Oregon can lose this game and still make the College Football Playoff, but this is the type of team Oregon will have to beat once in the CFP.
“The same goes for Penn State, but probably with more urgency. The Nittany Lions did make the semifinals last season, but they did it by beating SMU and Boise State. If Penn State wants to win a national title, it has to start beating opponents with elite talent. This is that type of game. Plus, with road games against Iowa and Ohio State and a visit from Indiana later in the season, there is no guarantee that Penn State can afford to lose this one.”
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You can read the full story here. The rest of today’s newsstand is below.
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Quote of the day
“Overall, he’s a very interesting prospect and one that we’ve liked for some time now. He’s a guy that you need to get on campus and see what happens, but he’s certainly a very good football player and an elite athlete. He’s a guy who fits the model that Penn State has sought out at tight end under James Franklin and the coaching staff as a whole. Petersohn is a really good player and an underrated recruiting win for the Nittany Lions.”
On3 Scouting Director Charles Power on new PSU commit Pierce Petersohn.
