Inside the Matchup: Previewing Washington and Penn State’s White Out Showdown with Ben Jones
Get Ready for Washington vs. Penn State: Big Ten Clash in the Intense White Out Atmosphere of Beaver Stadium
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Washington continues its tour of new sights and sounds in the Big Ten this weekend against No. 6 Penn State at Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Saturday’s game is Penn State’s annual White Out and may be the most hostile environment the Huskies play in all season.
To preview the matchup, I chatted with fellow Substacker
from . Jones has covered Penn State football for over a decade. We discussed Penn State’s loss to Ohio State, Nittany Lions’ head coach James Franklin, and what Penn State might be worried about in its matchup against the Huskies.
KC: What’s the vibe of the Penn State fan base after the team’s loss to Ohio State?
BJ: Given Penn State’s long-standing status of giving Ohio State a very close game only to lose - and losing this year basically because it couldn’t score from the goal line - I would say this one has hit fans hard. At the same time, the program is still well-positioned to make the playoffs so unlike in years’ past, the fallout of losing to Ohio State doesn't come with quite the same amount of dread that fans usually feel. So the emotions of fans are probably more mixed than usual.
KC: James Franklin has been getting some heat . . . whether it be for side-stepping questions about former players and their criminal charges or engaging with an angry Penn State fan . . . or not being able to beat Ohio State … is there any world where his seat actually gets hot?
BJ: Not really, from a practical standpoint, his buyout is too big, but if we break these things down one by one.
Franklin handled the press conference situation poorly but the program and university kicked both athletes off the team and out of the school in less than a month from the police getting involved. There’s no real legitimate issue with the handling of the actual issue here.
I think if you’re going to yell at a coach from a few feet away you get what you paid for. I understand the belief that coaches get well compensated to keep their mouths shut, but also, if fans want some smoke they can get it.
Not beating Ohio State is annoying for Penn State but it also plays Ohio State well every year. Franklin’s biggest strength is that Penn State always plays Ohio State well, his biggest shortcoming is that he never wins that game. Just sorta depends on how you look at the glass.
At the end of the day if Franklin is getting Penn State to the playoffs most years and winning a game or two more often than not, you’d have a hard time moving on from that. The downside is way bigger than the upside.
KC: How would you evaluate quarterback Drew Allar’s play this season? What’s impressed you about him? What has he struggled with this season?
BJ: I think on the whole he has played really well. Penn State doesn’t beat USC without him and has really seen him take huge strides overall. He has more interceptions this season than before, but maybe half of them are a product of bad bounces or meaningless end-of-half hail marys so I wouldn’t say he’s being less protective of the ball than before. If anything a bit more risk has let him unleash more arm talent. No quarterback is perfect and I’m sure if you watched the film you would find things he has missed but overall I don’t think there’s a major “he needs to improve in this area” part of his game. If anything the receivers around him need to improve.
KC: What are the strengths of this Penn State team?
BJ: In theory, this team is pretty balanced offensively and has gotten close to perfecting the “bend but don’t break” defensively. I think overall the strength is just being solid. This isn’t the best top-to-bottom Penn State team I’ve been around but I don’t think they’re handicapped by a major issue either. That changes a bit against very good teams, but not so much against the majority of the schedule. For those about to watch their first Penn State game I’d keep an eye on tight end Tyler Warren, he does everything and does everything well on a consistent basis.
KC: What are its weaknesses?
BJ: There are some coverage issues by product of injuries on defense and I think it takes them a bit to get settled into what works, which is a change of pace from Penn State’s usual first snap dominance in the past. Offensively the biggest hindrance to going far in the playoffs - if Penn State gets that far - is the wide receivers. The run game can be a bit hit or miss too, but not for a lack of talent. I’m also not sure Nick Singleton is 100% healthy either, but who is healthy in November?
KC: What scares you the most about Washington?
BJ: If I’m Penn State I’m not super jazzed about Washington’s pass defense being so good and my receivers being kind of meh. On the other hand, I would feel better about having two very good running backs if I’m James Franklin. Washington is obviously a very different team than it was last year but a program comfortable passing it a ton doesn’t necessarily line up well with Penn State’s possible weaknesses either.
KC: Tell us about the White Out. Husky fans have been hearing that it will be the toughest environment Washington has played in all year. Do you think that’s true?
BJ: Washington has the institutional advantage of playing at Oregon, but Beaver Stadium is also technically more than twice the size of Autzen so there’s that. I’ve covered over a decade of games at Beaver Stadium and it never really gets old and night games only ratchet it up a notch. Of places that Washington has played this year Iowa is the most comparable when it comes to overall atmosphere. Washington fans will learn to hate it when the Huskies make a trip there. It’s a long flight but hopefully some Washington fans make the trip. The visiting section is way up high, but it’s a great view of everything going on.
KC: What’s your prediction?
BJ: Penn State has been prone to letdowns after Ohio State losses but I think the expanded playoffs this helps Penn State get back on track. I don’t think Washington is bad, but until other teams start doing it I’m not going to pick Penn State to lose a home game against teams not named Michigan or Ohio State. I think the Huskies have things they can do to make this a game, but there are more hurdles to overcome for Washington than Penn State in this one. 31-17.
You can follow
’ coverage of Penn State on Substack at and on X (@Ben_Jones88).
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Nice interview, thanks for it. I too think Huskies loses but I think it will be bit closer score, like 27-20.