Penn State’s rough stretch has been impossible to miss in Happy Valley, but nationally, it hasn’t become the kind of full-blown spectacle that follows some collapsing seasons. That’s part of the strange backdrop around Saturday night’s White Out: the Nittany Lions have stumbled, but they haven’t exactly owned the national conversation while doing it.
The games against Wisconsin and Northwestern did not pull record-setting audiences, and the White Out won’t have that kind of spotlight either. Diehards in State College and Southern California will be locked in, but this matchup has never been a ratings giant.
Even in years when it stands as one of the marquee games on the schedule, it usually gets outdrawn by other heavyweight games elsewhere in the sport. That pattern is set to hold again this week with Alabama-Georgia on at the same time.
The recent White Out numbers tell the story. In 2025, Penn State’s game against Oregon drew 8.5 million viewers on NBC, while Alabama-Georgia pulled 10.42 million.
In 2024, Penn State’s White Out against Washington aired on Peacock, and no number was reported, though streaming games generally do not match network-TV audiences. The year before, the White Out against Iowa drew 2.75 million on CBS, while Colorado-Oregon brought in 10.03 million.
In 2022, Penn State-Minnesota had 3.75 million viewers on ABC, compared with 4.75 million for Syracuse-Clemson. In 2021, Penn State-Auburn drew 7.6 million on ABC, and Alabama-Florida edged it with 7.85 million.
That relative quiet has made this season feel different from last year’s collapse. The expectations weren’t as high this time, so Penn State’s failure to even clear the lower bar has been frustrating, but not quite as jarring. The program has still been a topic of discussion nationally, just not the kind that takes over the sport.
Fox analyst Robert Griffin III added to the conversation during last week’s broadcast, sometimes with more noise than clarity. He praised the crowd atmosphere even though empty seats were visible on television early.
He also talked about the value of Northwestern beating a team that had recently been ranked, while also saying he doesn’t place much stock in early-season rankings. His Rocco Becht-Trace McSorley comparison came off as a reach.
But when he said Northwestern took Penn State’s manhood by rushing for 413 yards, that landed differently.
There is still a real question about what exactly is going on with Penn State. Maybe it’s a split between players who came from Iowa State and those who were already in the program.
Maybe it’s the difference between Big 12 and Big Ten football. Maybe it’s an undersized quarterback or a defense built around only two linebackers at Linebacker U.
The answers will come later, just as last season’s explanations eventually surfaced around culture, money and playing time.
For now, the idea of patience is hanging there too, even if that’s easier to ask for when you’re not the one paying more for everything.
There are also some signs of where this is all heading off the field. Penn State officials and donors can only hope next year’s reopening of Beaver Stadium gets the kind of television treatment Northwestern’s Ryan Field received last week.
That broadcast turned into an extended showcase for the facility, and it was a reminder of how much visibility a stadium can get when the cameras are focused on the right angles. Penn State sponsors will likely be watching closely to see whether their own names are as visible when the renovated building opens.
The calendar has shifted enough that Penn State may even have time to make the first game in the refurbished stadium against an opponent worth watching, since next season’s college football schedule is moving up a week earlier than originally planned.
Saturday night should also bring the usual White Out extras. Enhanced lighting was already noticeable at Beaver Stadium for the Wisconsin game, and this is typically the night when Penn State brings out the full presentation - fireworks, maybe a flyover, and whatever else is waiting in the wings.
Elsewhere in the sport, ESPN’s six-part Nick Saban documentary premiered Thursday, and College GameDay is heading to Tuscaloosa this weekend, which lines up neatly with the network’s promotional push. ESPN also drew a better set of camera shots of Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr’s charitable pregame throw last week during GameDay than it managed for the decisive field goal in Pitt’s win over Virginia Tech. And with no College GameDay for the USC game, it does not look likely that the show will make it to Happy Valley this season.
One more note on the television landscape: college football ratings were down 11% in September compared with last season.
Worth watching this weekend: Indiana at Nebraska at noon Saturday on Fox; UCLA at Oregon at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS; LSU at Kentucky at 7 p.m.
Saturday on ESPN; and Georgia at Alabama at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Just Got A Brutal Kaytron Allen Surprise
Kaytron Allens first NFL season hit an early snag Monday, when the Washington Commanders waived the former Penn State standout, according to ESPNs Adam Schefter. Allen arrived in Washington as a sixth-round pick after leaving Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions all-time leading rusher, and he got on the field in the teams first four games before this roster move changed the outlook on his rookie year.
For Penn State fans, the news lands hard because Allens college rsum still carries real weight, especially after a 2025 season that included more than 1,300 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. At 23, he is still early in his pro career, but being waived this quickly puts the next step of his NFL path into immediate focus and leaves his future very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A White Out Turning Point With Offense Under Pressure
Penn State heads into its third conference game of the 2026 season with the White Out again looming as one of the biggest stages on the schedule, and the timing could hardly be more pointed. Offensively, the Nittany Lions are trying to steady themselves after a rocky stretch, while the defense is also under the microscope after recent issues with tackling. It is the kind of midseason spot where the noise is part of the atmosphere, but the pressure comes from what has happened on the field.
Matt Campbell has already settled one of the most important questions by naming Rocco Becht the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, which at least gives Penn State a clear direction under center. The harder part is sorting out the rest of the offense, especially the run game, and the staff is still trying to find the right answers there before USC arrives for a matchup that could say plenty about where this team is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Defense Is Trying To Fix An Ugly Problem Fast
Following Penn States loss to Northwestern, the defense has spent the week staring straight at the part of its game that hurt most: tackling. Safety Jeremiah Cooper said the group was disgusted and sick about how it finished plays, and coach DAnton Lynn responded by ramping up tackling work in practice after isolating the specific breakdowns from the game. The focus has been less on moving past the loss and more on making sure the same mistakes do not linger.
Players have noticed the difference on the practice field, where the intensity and physicality have both picked up as the Nittany Lions get ready for USC. That extra work suggests Penn State is treating the issue as more than a one-week correction, especially with a bigger challenge on deck. How quickly the defense turns the added reps into cleaner execution will go a long way toward showing whether the fix is real. [Read more 🡒]