Why Penn State & UCLA's Big Ten Matchup Matters

It's a reunion between Penn State and UCLA, but this time it's not just about the football. These two teams haven't played each other since 1968, when Lyndon B. Johnson was President and hippies were everywhere. Now, they're conference rivals in the Big Ten. So, let's break down what to expect from this first Big Ten matchup. For UCLA, this is a big deal because they haven't played a football game in the Eastern Time Zone since 2014. That's a long time! They traveled to Virginia back then and won, but this time, they'll face Penn State at Beaver Stadium. After this, UCLA will be back in the Eastern Time Zone in two weeks to face Rutgers. That's a lot of flying! Penn State has started the season strong. They're 4-0, which is pretty routine for them. In the last four seasons, they've started with a 4-0 record and even went 5-0 in the last three. They're looking to make that four in a row. Last year, they reached 6-0 before losing to Ohio State. But everyone knows that beating big teams like Ohio State and Michigan is what really matters to Penn State fans.

Penn State has been doing well against unranked teams. They've won 24 straight games against teams not in the top 25. This streak started in the 2021 season when they lost to Illinois in nine overtimes. Yes, nine! They got their revenge last week by beating Illinois 21-7. The game is happening on Saturday, October 5th at 12 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. You can catch it on Fox or stream it live on fubo. Now, let's talk about the game itself. UCLA is not having a great time in the Big Ten. They're 0-2 and have been outscored by 50 points. Both of these games were at home, and they allowed at least 34 points in each. Now, they're traveling to Penn State. It's hard to see how their defense, which has struggled against Indiana, LSU, and Oregon, will do better against the Nittany Lions. Maybe an early start will make Penn State play poorly, but don't count on it. Penn State is favored by 27.5 points.

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