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Our freshman, and RS freshman corners come from Maryland, and thus a benefit of being in the Big-10 and being able to tell their parents about the games at Penn State, Rutgers, Northwestern, etc. that they can easily travel to instead of coming to Eugene. And now...this game is a step up for these newbie corners, and I believe they will acquit themselves well. (Penn State wanted Finney bad) Brandon Finney Jr.

Nice piece, Darren... love the fire in the title! 🔥 I’ll echo what some others have said: defense is going to be the key. If our D comes out ready to clog lanes, force third downs, and not let PSU get comfortable, we’ve got a real shot. But the offense can’t just show up... the line has to win early, and Dante Moore needs clean pockets. One idea: mix in a few quick hitters and misdirections early to loosen up their edge set. Let’s get the crowd off balance, then hit ‘em when they overcommit. If the Ducks handle turnovers, stay disciplined in all three phases, and manage the tempo, I think we green out the white out. Go Ducks! 🦆

IMO for Dante, it will be extremely important to get him going early. A successful first possession with a TD will go a long way towards calming any nerves associated with 100k opposing fans yelling at you.

Just a FYI for the visitors from Oregon and other states not named Pennsylvania. If you wish to buy pre-game libations you can only buy beer at a distributor and some convenience stores. However, the convenience stores only sell small volumes (six pack and lower). I will be bringing a case of select NC IPA’s to the tailgate just in case their only offering is Yeungling, which is Pennsylvania’s version of Henry Weinhard.

I like our chances much better on defense without TE Tyler Warren on the other side. It really wreaks havoc on a defense when you have to pay so much attention to one player AND you don't have the personnel to neutralize him. Hopefully, no more double teams, bracket coverage, or otherwise leaning the defense towards that player. Just let the boys pin their ears back and play. I know they have other great skill players, but I like our backend much better this year. Offensively, play calls have to get in quickly and our offense should presume they will not be able to hear a word. I wonder if we might sneak in a little more no-huddle and two-minute. Why give the crowd another 40 seconds to ramp up before every play? Neither team has had to play deep into a 4th quarter. So wear the defense out and don't let them substitute. Let's flip the script and outrush them. And please, if you have a chance to take your first 3 points on the road in a big game and hostile environment - KICK THE FIELD GOAL! I don't care what the score is. Put points on the board. (Only exception to this is down 4+ with under 2 minutes to play). All the pressure is on Penn St. Stay ahead of the chains. Stay ahead on the scoreboard. If they don't win this with their upcoming trip to Columbus looming, they are staring at a road playoff game.

The Top 7 in the 2024 Portal Rankings, including OBD, are undefeated heading into Week 5. The Transfer Portal has revolutionized roster management. Pay now for untested high school players, or pay later for guys with college football experience? Returning Production? Clemson is No. 1 in returning production. 😁 Death Valley VoiceTransfer portal revolution: Breaking down its early effec...One term that is quickly becoming outdated in the new era of college football is "returning production." Over the past couple of seasons it has become evident t

IMHO, this different uniform per game business just makes it a little bit harder for us to play and win. No matter what, each player has to add a nano second to process, at least early in the game. Why is it a good thing, especially nowadays there are so many other ways to show that we have uncle Phil? 😁

These games are far better than the 5-and-dime, you know the winner before-kickoff games. And OBD is Number 1! On3Top 10 games to watch Week 5 of college football seasonMore than five top-25 matchups are on the books in Week 5. On3 is breaking down the top 10 games on the schedule. Note - the Auburn vs. Texas A&M game is being played in College Station, Texas, not Auburn, Alabama. SMH 😧

The NCAA can no longer control something as basic as eligibility. WOW. Vandy QB, Diego Pavia, broke the JC years counting toward eligibility last season. This goes one year beyond. If the judge's ruling is sustained, this brings CFB one step closer to a Super Conference. One wonders if the players will be student athletes or simply athletes drafted out of high school. Why does a sport that has always controlled its postseason play have any need for the NCAA?

Thank you, Darren. Your article hit all the key (not all the Keystone State keys, I hope) notes for a win in Beaver Stadium. Blue Chip Roster teams are a different animal, no doubt. In this case, a group of Nittany Lions, desperate for a significant victory, from the head coach on down. Shutting down Wisconsin in Madison last season on the road and playing in the 8th straight game against Big Ten opponents in front of a raucous crowd was noteworthy. However, was there a single player on that Badgers roster who would have started for OBD? Saturday is a Prove It game for both teams. Dan et al know that the Rose Bowl performance earned a solid 'F.' As you noted, a Prove It game for Dante Moore. Dante in today's world of CFB is a different animal. How many young players, two seasons removed from high school, would have chosen to sit behind an experienced QB and learn for a season? Not many. I don't believe there is a D in CFB that can shut down the OBD and PSU offenses. I watched Georgia's D lit up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Georgia, behind gutsy QB play, fought back, got the break it needed when a walk-off FG was missed, and the Dawgs escaped, as Kirby Smart admitted, with a lucky victory. Lucky or not, A W is a W. It's hard to win football games, especially on the road. OBD's schedule to date has been perfect for breaking in a new starter, at QB and 17 other positions. 18 new starters and OBD is 4-0. This is great coaching that is so easy to take for granted when your team has a significant roster advantage over the opponents. It's Blue Chip vs. Blue Chip. IMO, this game will come down to TOs, the same thing that happened last December in Indianapolis. I like our QB compared to their QB. I see OBD winning the turnover battle and winning a close game with at least 60 + cumulative points scored. Thanks again, Darren. Green Out the White Out! The grass is damn green in Eugene; it will not be whitewashed! 😍

Yes it will Don't we have a JUCO transfer player wanting to get back his JUCO years? If so then this is certainly good news. Just can't remember which player.

Good gosh Darren....what a great title! The more I watch analysis videos of this game...the less I am sold on Allar, the 'Lion QB. Pack the box and make him perform, and while they will get some explosion pass plays--it will not be enough to outscore Our Beloved Ducks, IMHO. The tactic would not work against Ohio State, or Indiana...but it could against Penn State. Our offense has to be sharp!

I used to follow all the twists and turns in the recruiting process, but now I like to see who has verballed to us, who offered them, etc. Then the occasional news from there, and when it looks exceptional solid, (such as not taking trips) then I might look at film on a few. While I have not cut it down to the level you have--my attention to recruiting is probably down 70% from years ago. When they verbal...I will report and read up on them. While players do flip, the vast majority....don't. And for those we lose, Lanning and staff flip others our way.

Because no swag or colors are better than the green, yellow, black, white, cookies and cream, orange, silver, etc. of THE Oregon Ducks :)

This game is a pick’em……and Penn State is favored by 3…..understood. It’s really difficult to gauge how good Oregon is, that’s another reason Penn State gets the nod, that and the fact that there will 100,000+ fans, all in white, screaming at the top of their lungs when Oregon has the ball. Oregon’s schedule this far really doesn’t tell us a lot. Their opponents’ combined record is 3-12 and Oklahoma State and Oregon State are a combined 0-8. That said, I hope the Ducks kick butt. A win tomorrow in the White Out game would be a signature win and bode well for the rest of the season as we face a challenging Big Ten schedule.

I don’t usually mess with people's Cornflakes…if someone still wants to follow recruiting super closely and they enjoy it, go for it. That being said, since this is a thread on the topic, for me personally I used to rabidly follow recruiting, but stopped as soon as the portal became a force. I still follow the macro and want us to do well, as it perpetuates perceived success which translates to success on the field eventually. But I personally refuse to be held hostage by the whims of a 17 year old trying to leverage himself. I’m all for kids getting what they can, but really don’t care about the negotiation process. Don’t get me wrong, the staff needs to be following this very closely, and they do an amazing job. As a fan, tell me who’s made it to fall camp and I’ll start drilling down more at the individual level.

Darren, thank you for the article! This Duck fan agrees that the Duck D needs to play much better (as a unit) than they did in the BIG Title Game and the Rose Bowl. Of course that was last years unit! This White Out game affords this years D unit their opportunity to make a big statement! This may be an unfair statement and OBDF members please don't take this wrong because I think DL is great and we are fortunate to have him. However, I am still waiting for that real statement game by a DL defense on the biggest stage! This could be the game? PSU does not have a vaunted passing attack and the secondary has the pieces to force PSU offense to be one dimensional. Put 8 in the box, mix up your sets and schemes and get PSU in 3rd and long. The Ducks have 2 fire eating EDGE rushers that should be sack happy by games end. If the D does not dominate then the game may very well be a shootout. Thus it falls to the O Line and Dante Moore. Give Dante protection and I expect the Ducks highly talented skill players to overwhelm the PSU Defense. Dante has spent his football life preparing for big games on the biggest stage! This is a big game....... Special teams may help decide this game. No mistakes are a must. However, the Ducks must play clean, crisp and aggressive in all 3 phases to stamp out the white out. I feel confident the Ducks can win this game. Go Ducks......

Nittany being the field goal favorite is simply because of the expectation that the white out atmosphere will have affect our execution and be that extra fuel that a James Franklin led team needs to beat a highly ranked/talented opponent. It is their super bowl, it's the student's super bowl, they had a bye, and it's seemingly a must win game for Franklin & Co (as also said by JPate). In the minds of the Vegas and the talking heads, everything is set up for a PSU victory. The home field advantage, 100K+ fans that will probably break their attendance record, etc. With that being said, +3.5 is a gift from heaven. Heck I slammed our moneyline so hard my phone almost broke. If Dan has these the boys ready to execute (he will), no dumb mistakes, we make some big stops on D, and Stein calls a good game, they should be the ones worried about US. Time will tell. See you Saturday. Go OBD.

Three keys to the game: Load the box, get the ball out quickly and, DO YOUR JOB. Oregon’s 3 keys to victory against Penn State football Tale of the tape. Slight end to . . . Breaking down the tape for No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 2 Penn State

There should be a ton of momentum swings (both ways) have to respond to the punches every single time. Go Ducks!!! Get me to Saturday

Mainly self-reflection on how to avoid a repeat of last year's game. Behind Enemy Lines: Penn State insider Tyler Donohue answers five questions

Joel Klatt Picks Penn State 31-30 backed by their fans because “they have to win this game”

Coming into the 2025 college football season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Oregon Ducks was how the secondary would look following key starters departing over the offseason. But after reeling in Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman at safety over the offseason, the Ducks knew they found their leader in the secondary. Through four games, Thieneman has racked up 16 tackles and one pass deflection, proving to be a worthwhile addition to Oregon's depleted secondary unit. Oregon Ducks On SIThe Secret Behind Dillon Thieneman’s Chemistry Boost for...Coming into the 2025 college football season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Oregon Ducks was how the secondary would look following key starters

After beating weaker opponents to go 4-0, the Ducks now face what could be their toughest game of the year at Penn State. Some keys: Defense As we painfully remember, Oregon’s defense was far from championship caliber in their final two games last season, the Rose Bowl and B1G Championship Game. Ohio State did anything they wanted offensively against the ... Time to Wipe Out the White Out

It seems about right I think? NFL betting obviously is known to give the home team 3. I have read home field in college is usually viewed different, with 3 being the baseline but the actual number being between 2 and 6 points. Way back in the day when I used to always grab it (maybe 1998-2008) Phil Steele on top of each team page put that number (if anyone had a good idea what that number actually was, it was probably Phil). Autzen was usually around a 6 point home edge. I'd imagine Penn State has a similar home field number. I haven't exactly read a number given to the development of teams traveling across the whole country for a regular conference game; but, consensus seems to be it's incorporated. Let's say an additional 2.0 points West to East and 1.5 points East to West. Maybe it is more a "situational factor" in pro lines; but, there has to be something greater recognizing Oregon or USC traveling to Penn State is just different than Rutgers or Maryland traveling to Penn State for college kids. So, you figure if both teams travel equal distances and play at a neutral field it would be Oregon maybe about -4.5 (currently PSU -3.5 favorite but without getting the 6 + 2 point bump). Maybe a funny way to look at it but Oregon does appear a neutral site favorite 🤷‍♂️