The Oregon Ducks may have edged past Penn State last year, but head coach Dan Lanning is well aware of the kind of damage James Franklin’s team can do. “Obviously, they play a physical brand of football. I think Coach Franklin does an elite job in all three phases,” Lanning said last season. Add Jim Knowles, who is coming off a championship win, to the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff, and Penn State is looking even more threatening this season. And as for Oregon? Well, the Ducks will not have the luxury of playing a quarterback as elite as Dillon Gabriel, who was the difference against Penn State last year.

The Ducks are set to face the Nittany Lions this season as well in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship on September 28. And even though ESPN has ranked Oregon #8 in their preseason rankings, the Ducks have former five-star Dante Moore ready to replace Gabriel. With Makhi Hughes as running back, Emmanuel Pregnon as guard, and Isiah World and Alex Harkey as offensive tackles, Lanning has added some serious talents from the transfer portal as well. Still, there is one thing that Coach Lannig has no control over and might decide his fate against red-hot Penn State.

The Ducks have to fight out an extremely tight schedule before they face Franklin’s Penn State. On September 20, the Ducks will be playing their arch-rival Oregon State, exactly a week before their tie against the Nittany Lions. While Oregon State is not that big of a concern for the Ducks, they have just a week to travel and prepare against the mighty Penn State, who will be waiting to avenge their Big Ten Championship defeat in a 100,000-plus white-clad fans at Beaver Stadium. Bob Flounders of PennLive PSU pointed out this exact concern for Coach Lanning.

“Oregon does not have a bye week before the game,” Bob Flounders said while speaking at Penn State on Penn Live on June 3. Oregon is coming off a rivalry battle with Oregon State. “It’s still a rivalry game for them, and you know emotions will be high in that game, regardless of the level of competition there from the Beavers,” he added. Penn State, meanwhile, is lounging around on a bye week, healing up in their backyard, and plotting ways to make life terrible for the Ducks. That additional rest and preparation? It counts. big time.

Flounders said that “Coming off that game [with the Beavers]… the preparation, it might have been a little bit more difficult on the Ducks.” Here is the problem for Lanning and Oregon. First, the environment. Beaver Stadium under the lights is a different animal. The noise, the electricity, the tradition—Penn State’s home field advantage is the stuff of legend, and the White Out takes it to eleven. Even top teams can get shaken, and Oregon’s coming in with a new quarterback and a lot of new faces after losing their key players to the NFL. Yeah, they’ve got talent, but this isn’t Autzen. It’s a test unlike any other.

Oregon’s traveling cross-country, acclimating to a different time zone, and entering primetime. It’s not as brutal as a noon kickoff (which would amount to 9 am for the Ducks), but it’s still a grind. The East Coast trip, the pressure, the hype—all stacked against them. Dan Lanning’s a master motivator, no doubt. But even the greatest coaches can’t replicate the pandemonium of a Penn State White Out. For Oregon, this is a benchmark. For Penn State, it’s personal. And for Lanning’s Ducks, it’s big trouble—because in Beaver Stadium, on White Out night, just about anything can happen.

Penn State’s powerful defensive hire can shake up Oregon

NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night came on and, voilà, the White Out was once again in prime time—7:30 pm, September 27, and all of America was watching. It’s not an ordinary regular-season game; it’s a rematch featuring huge playoff and conference stakes, and Penn State’s athletic department knew this was the time to restore the White Out to its former splendor. The Big Ten and TV affiliates finally released kickoff times, and Penn State did not hesitate to secure Oregon for the White Out.

But why Oregon? White Out isn’t a game—it’s a bucket-list event, a brand, and one of college football’s most daunting environments. Penn State wants it to remain special, and that means reserving it for the biggest, baddest name on the docket. The remainder of the home schedule? Not quite front-page news—Nevada, FIU, Villanova, Northwestern. Oregon was the no-brainer choice, and Penn State leaped at the opportunity.

Now with Oregon arriving hot as Big Ten defending champs, every advantage is crucial, and this bye allows Penn State to be well-rested, refreshed, and prepared to unleash the complete White Out experience under the stadium lights. Penn State’s also been active during the off-season regarding their coaching changes. The buzz move? Adding Jim Knowles as its new defensive coordinator, a move that’s got fans excited.

Knowles, the former Buckeyes DC, has a reputation for tough, innovative defenses, and he’s figured to stir things up on that side of the field. Offensively, there’s a new injection of skill at wide receiver courtesy of the transfer portal, presenting Drew Allar with more tools to play with. With fresh faces on the sidelines and the field, Penn State is ready to make a statement in 2025.