While the Michigan Wolverines enjoy their week off, two of the titans of the Big Ten conference face off this weekend in an epic showdown in Happy Valley. The No. 6 Oregon Ducks waddle into Beaver Stadium to battle the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.
This is one of the most important games of the 2025 college football season, not just for seeding in the Big Ten. Both teams are primed for a College Football Playoff run, and this one could be a midseason determinate of who could get a coveted bye and easier
path to the postseason.
No. 6 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions
- Day: Saturday, Sept. 27 2025
- TV: NBC
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park, PA
- Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy
- Odds: Penn State -3.5, O/U: 51.5
Oregon is off to a 4-0 start after winning the Big Ten last season. Despite losing quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and their rushing and receiving leaders in 2025, the Ducks have the No. 7 scoring offense in the country. Michigan-product Dante Moore transferred from UCLA last offseason, sat behind Gabriel, and now looks primed for action in Dan Lanning’s system. Moore is completing almost 75% of his passes with 11 touchdowns to just 1 interception early in the season. On the other side, Mateyo Uiagalelei is up to three sacks on the season and should be among the top pass rushers in college football this season. He leads a defense that is currently allowing less than 10 points per game.
But, this will be the Ducks first true test and road game of the season. They opened Big Ten play in Week 3 in Evanston with a 34-14 win over Northwestern, a team expected to finish in the bottom three of the conference. Penn State is about as far on the other end of the Big Ten spectrum as you can get.
Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, and Kaytron Allen all returned for the Nittany Lions in pursuit of a national championship. So far, so good for Penn State who adds a defense that appears to be as stout as ever. Through three wins, the defense has allowed a total of 17 points, that the third-fewest per game in the country. Led by Big Ten honorable mention Dani Dennis-Sutton, the team hopes to put a lot of pressure on the road for Dante Moore, who has struggled, particularly on the road, in the early parts of his career.
This game will come down to who controls the line of scrimmage, but also, whose quarterback makes the right play at the right time. Allar had a nightmare of a run at the end of the 2024 season completing only 53% of his passes for 165 yards per game in the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff. At the largest stage again on Saturday, he hopes to make amends.
Moore has a similar story of being in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Rushed into the starting job at UCLA as a true freshman, he also completed just 53% of his passes over a nine game stretch for 11 touchdowns a 9 interceptions with the Bruins in 2023. He wants to prove that he lives up to the five-star reputation he built in high school by leading the Ducks into the playoffs and beyond. A win against Penn State on the road would be a monumental first step.
Let’s not get fooled about what is happening here though from Vegas. The O/U is at 51.5 for two defenses that rank statistically as Top-10 in the country. They want you to look at that a scoff at the idea that this game will have a lot of points. But the top of the Big Ten has changed, the run game is as important as ever, but it’s no longer three yards and a cloud of dust. I’m taking the points here in a game that I could see having 60+ points as two sides have a ton of offensive weapons.
The play: o51.5 (-110)
Season Total: 10-6 (+3.13 units)
Other top games in Week 5
Noon ET (FOX) – No. 21 USC Trojans vs No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini
- The play: ILL +7 ( -110)
3:30 p.m. ET (CBS) – No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs Washington Huskies
- The play: WASH +8.5 (-110)
7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide vs No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs
- The play: BAMA +3.5 (-110)
