Despite suffering its first regular-season loss , Penn State is still squarely in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff ( CFP ). The Nittany Lions came in at No. 6 for the first rankings released earlier this week.
They’ll try to rebound from their loss when they host the Washington Huskies on Saturday night. While the Huskies are coming off an impressive 26-21 home victory against USC, they’ll now have to travel across the country to Beaver Stadium for one of those white-out games steeped in tradition under head coach James Franklin. Washington has yet to show that it can adjust to the amount of travel it’ll face since joining the Big Ten.
As a result, the Huskies could be extremely vulnerable in the early stages of games on the road. Washington vs. Penn State odds (8 p.
m. ET, Peacock) This season was always going to be a challenge for the Huskies after losing 10 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, including three first-rounders and seven players through the first three rounds. Washington was completely flush with talent as the number of draftees tied a school record set in 1998.
Not only did the Huskies lose quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but they also had to replace three wide receivers (Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan), along with two linemen (Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten). With only five returning starters, the betting market was rightfully bearish on the Huskies win total, betting it down from 7.
5 to 6.5. Washington looks every bit lik.