After three straight weeks of home blowouts, Penn State fans get the week off before the 2025 White Out against No. 4 Oregon.

The second break of the year won’t come until the week between the Iowa game on October 18 and the Ohio State game on November 1. Very advantageous placement by weeks for the Nittany Lions, both coming before top ten teams in the country.

With that being said, everyone should always have a reason to watch college football. Here are the outcomes that could help Penn State in the long run.

Who To Root For

Keeping it in the Big Ten, a win for No. 19 Indiana is huge for the Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers take on No. 9 Illinois at home, in what could be a playoff elimination game. Despite a positive showing last year, the country is still not sold on Indiana. A win against a top ten team would definitely boost their rankings before they come to Happy Valley in November. While a loss to Oregon seems likely, if the Hoosiers are 8-1, it’s likely the Nittany Lions will gain a top-ten matchup at home.

Another conference matchup to watch is Nebraska against Michigan. The Cornhuskers’ head coach, Matt Rhule, is infamous for his program’s play in year three. Well, it’s his third year in Lincoln, and he has the Huskers playing really well. Last week, Nebraska had nine votes to make the AP Poll, good enough for No. 34 in the country. If it can take down No. 21 Michigan, the Cornhuskers will likely be ranked, adding another ranked matchup to Penn State’s resume.

We know this will be tough, but it also makes sense to root for Oregon this week against Oregon State. While the Civil War will likely not be close, the Ducks sit just outside the top five. A big win for them could bump them up, and who doesn’t want another top-five matchup in Beaver Stadium? This will likely also help the odds of getting College GameDay to State College on September 27.

Who To Root Against

Along the lines of the Oregon reasoning, Penn State fans should be rooting against Miami this weekend against Florida. While DJ Lagway will need to make sure his eyes are turned on, if he plays well, the Florida team is actually quite talented. A loss for No. 3 Miami will also secure a spot in the top five for Oregon.

Another team to root against is Notre Dame. This doesn’t really have any benefit to Penn State, but I mean, it’s Notre Dame. If the Fighting Irish were playing against the Soviets, we’d still want them to lose.