Penn State vs. Nevada prediction, pick, odds, spread: Drew Allar, Nittany Lions begin national title quest
The No. 2 Nittany Lions and Wolf Pack kick off the season live Saturday on CBS
By
Tom Fornelli
•
3 min read
The 2025 Big Ten on CBS schedule kicks off in Week 1 with No. 2 Penn State hosting Nevada from the Mountain West. It's the season-opener for a Penn State team considered by many to be one of the favorites to win not only the Big Ten, but perhaps the school's first national title since 1986.
Penn State is coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory with a mark of 13-3. The Nittany Lions reached the Big Ten Championship Game where they fell to Oregon 45-37 in a thriller, and won two College Football Playoff games (at home against SMU and against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl) before falling to Notre Dame in the semifinal at the Orange Bowl. It was Penn State's first College Football Playoff appearance as a program -- but returning is an expectation, not a hope for 2025.
And for good reason. The bulk of the team that reached the semis last year returns, starting with quarterback Drew Allar and two 1,000-yard rushers in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Penn State vs. Nevada: Need to know
The Nittany Lions have a new defensive coordinator: It's a storyline that seemed to get lost in an offseason of big headlines, but it's another year, another new defensive coordinator for Penn State. Last year's DC Tom Allen has moved on to Clemson. Penn State replaced him with Jim Knowles. Yes, the same Jim Knowles who ran Ohio State's defense last season and helped the Buckeyes win a national title. It was a serious get for James Franklin and the Penn State program, and yet another reason why so many are expecting big things from the Nittany Lions.
Penn State has won 21 straight games in August and September: Penn State starts every season strong. Its 21 consecutive wins in the months of August and September is the longest active streak in the country entering 2025. The last time Penn State lost a game in August or September was Sept. 29, 2018 when the Nittany Lions fell at home to Ohio State 27-26. Penn State has also won 28 straight nonconference home games, which is the third-longest active streak. The last loss came to UCF back in 2013. So, you see, Penn State doesn't lose very often this early in the season.
It's the second time in program history Penn State begins the season in the top two of the AP Poll: Penn State finished only five points behind No. 1 Texas in this year's preseason AP Top 25, the highest it's been ranked to start any season since being ranked No. 1 in 1997. The Nittany Lions are hoping this season will have better results, as the 1997 Lions finished 9-3 and ranked No. 16 in the poll.
Where to watch Penn State vs. Nevada live
Date: Saturday, Aug. 30 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Beaver Stadium -- University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Penn State vs. Nevada prediction, picks
Perhaps you've noticed I've written almost exclusively about Penn State in this preview, and it's for good reason. They're 44.5-point favorites over a Nevada team what went 3-10 last year, but does have a familiar name at QB in Chubba Purdy. Yes, he's the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy. However, Chubba does not have the 49ers around him like his brother, and I don't expect this game to be very competitive.
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