Penn State is a six-touchdown favorite this week for the second time in as many games.
FIU will receive $1.6 million to serve as fodder for the Nittany Lions Saturday at noon (TV-BTN) at Beaver Stadium.
It’s not ideal for fans shelling out hundreds of dollars for Nittany Lion Club memberships, tickets, parking and perhaps hotel rooms.
But the non-conference schedule against Nevada, FIU and Villanova is perfect for a senior-dominated team with championship aspirations and one with talented first-year and second-year players needing experience.
Rest assured that it’s not going to hurt Penn State if they’re in position for a College Football Playoff berth. What matters most is how the Lions do in the Big Ten, starting with defending champion Oregon Sept. 27 at home.
Ohio State won a national championship last year with Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall as its non-conference opponents.
Before anyone criticizes the Lions for not playing a power-conference opponent this year, remember that they were originally scheduled to play Virginia Tech this weekend, a potential homecoming for Hokies coach and former PSU defensive coordinator Brent Pry and former Lions captain and Tech assistant Jan Johnson.
The first of the home-and-home series was scheduled for 2020 in Blacksburg, Va., and canceled because of the pandemic. Penn State played only Big Ten games in that shortened season. The 2025 game was then canceled as well.
This is the first time since 2015 that the Lions don’t have a power-conference opponent on their schedule. They have since faced Pittsburgh, Auburn and West Virginia. Syracuse returns for a home-and-home in 2027-28.
Penn State has often done what the Southeastern Conference will start doing next season playing nine conference games and one non-conference game against an opponent from the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference or Big 12 or Notre Dame.
Maybe we’ll see more top-flight matchups, such as Texas-Ohio State, LSU-Clemson and Alabama-Florida State last weekend, if the CFP expands to 16 teams, which would give teams more margin for error.
For now, Penn State fans should be able to enjoy the next two games like they did the one last week without becoming tense or angry.
Speaking of those negative emotions, it’s stunning (or comical) to hear how some Lions fans have reacted to the report by On3 earlier this week that Penn State is expected to shift from Nike to Adidas apparel and footwear.
If the reports are accurate, the Penn State-Adidas agreement will be for 10 years and $100 million. It’s very similar to the deal that Tennessee announced last month with Adidas, which includes “unprecedented” NIL opportunities for athletes in all of the Vols’ sports.
“Penn State Athletics is conducting a Request for Proposal (RFP) for its future apparel partnership and evaluating various opportunities,” a Penn State Athletics statement said. “This process will enable Penn State Athletics to identify the best partner to support our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
Penn State was one of the first colleges to align with Nike in 1993, adding a swoosh to the formerly pristine football uniforms. It’s been a happy marriage, even though the Lions are lower in Nike’s pecking order than they will be with Adidas.
If a deal with Adidas adds more money into the coffers, including to athletes under the NIL umbrella, then Penn State has to accept it. The Board of Trustees is expected to vote on it and approve the new agreement Sept. 11-12.
Indiana, Nebraska, Rutgers and Washington are Big Ten schools that already have existing deals with Adidas. Other Adidas schools include Arizona State, Texas A&M, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina State and St. John’s.
For the people who are crushed that Penn State probably will no longer be a Nike school, get over it. Even Tiger Woods no longer wears Nike.
