Penn State’s trip to the Rose Bowl this weekend comes with plenty of intrigue. The Nittany Lions, ranked No. 7, enter Saturday’s Big Ten matchup against UCLA as heavy favorites despite their recent OT loss to Oregon.
ESPN’s College GameDay analysts Pete Thamel and Rece Davis see little suspense, with both predicting James Franklin’s team to handle the Bruins with ease.
Thamel believes offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki must spark life into an attack that has fallen flat. Quarterback Drew Allar has faced criticism after struggling against Oregon, completing just 14 of 25 passes with two late touchdowns and a costly interception in double overtime.
With plenty of Penn State alumni expected in Pasadena, analysts see this as a chance for the Lions to regroup before heading deeper into the conference slate.
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Pete Thamel did not hesitate when asked about Penn State’s chances.
“They’ll have a home crowd at the Rose Bowl, considering how many Penn State grads live in LA,” he said. “I hope Penn State uses this to find some juju and open things up. The offense has been very un-Kotelnicki-like. It’s been flat and vanilla and with the weapons they have and the quarterback they have, they need to find some juice. But I do think they roll, I don’t think it’s close.”
Rece Davis echoed that sentiment, pointing to UCLA’s instability.
“I think Penn State wins that game easily,” Davis said. “Probably not a lot more that needs to be said about that given UCLA’s current circumstances.”
The Bruins have been in turmoil since firing head coach DeShaun Foster after three games. Interim coach Tim Skipper has already parted ways with offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, and the team remains one of just four winless programs in the FBS.
Penn State sits at 3-1, opening the season with victories over Nevada, FIU and Villanova before falling to Oregon 30-24 in double overtime. That loss dropped Franklin’s career record to 2-21 against top-six opponents in the AP poll.
On defense, the Lions were worn down by Oregon’s deep running back rotation, which racked up more than 175 rushing yards.
UCLA will try to borrow from that blueprint with Jaivian “Jet” Thomas, who is averaging just over 4.5 yards per carry and is supported by Anthony Woods and Jalen Berger. For the Bruins, controlling possession may be the only path to slowing Penn State’s favored offense.