As we head into Week 5 of college football, there are quite a few great games about to happen. The Alabama Crimson Tide at the Georgia Bulldogs, the LSU Tigers at the Ole Miss Rebels, and the Auburn Tigers vs. the Texas A&M Aggies. But none are as good as the Oregon Ducks at the Penn State Nittany Lions. This matchup could very well determine who is the best in the country.
The Oregon at. Penn State Matchup Could Set Up a National Title Favorite
This matchup features two undefeated teams that have been performing well to start the season.
Oregon
The Oregon Ducks have begun the season firing on all cylinders, with their least impressive win being a 20-point victory at the Northwestern Wildcats. However, the Ducks have still blown out each team faced so far, including a 69-3 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys and a 41-7 win over in-state rival Oregon State. Oregon has looked great on both sides of the ball and is led by stud Dante Moore. In other words, this team is very dangerous.
Penn State
The Penn State Nittany Lions came into this season with massive expectations, ranked as the No. 2 team in the country. Their first four weeks have included three wins and a bye week. However, each win was over an inferior opponent. Each win was also a blowout, but at the same time, the Nittany Lions are unproven. Penn State hasn’t been discussed much this season due to its relatively easy schedule so far. However, the Nittany Lions’ roster was considered one of the best returning rosters in the nation. If there is time for a big win for the program, then it is definitely now.
The BIG Ten Isn’t Inferior to the SEC, Folks
A lot of national attention has been turned to the SEC- BIG Ten debate. However, popular opinion is that the SEC conference is better than the BIG Ten. The fact of the matter is, this game is one of the biggest that you can possibly imagine. The best teams in the country so far have been Ohio State, Miami, Penn State, LSU, and Georgia. Oregon, Penn State, and OSU have performed on a different kind of level.
OSU defeated SEC powerhouse Texas while Oklahoma defeated Michigan. However, this just simply shows that the conferences are just as good as one another. The additions to the conference since the early 2010s have been amazing: Nebraska, USC, Oregon and USC have all taken their rich college football history and talent to the BIG Ten. The matchup between the Oregon and PSU shows this. Time for national attention to be given to the BIG Ten.
Oregon, Penn State are Both Trying To Get over the Hump
Both teams are desperately in need of competing again. Penn State has always been behind the dominant Ohio State or Michigan. It feels like PSU always find a way into the top five, but never stays there permanently. As for Oregon, the last few seasons have seen Oregon unable to get past conference opponents. Washington in 2023, as they were 12-0 vs teams that weren’t named the Huskies, while in 2024 they were eliminated by Ohio State. Overall, both teams would love to use this win to catapult it’s teams into playoff and national contention. It is possible that this is the biggest game of the season.
Penn State vs. Oregon will be very fun to see. Really, it proves that the BIG Ten ranks just as high as the SEC. Both teams are searching to get a national title, and this game will definitely help the winner possibly do that.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
