Duke, Colorado move into rankings together

September 6, 2023

The Associated Press No. 21 Duke and No. 22 Colorado moved into the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Tuesday after scoring the biggest upsets of the opening weekend of the season and No. 4 Florida State jumped into the top five after its resounding victory over LSU in Week 1’s marquee game. Georgia remained No. 1 with 58 first-place votes and Michigan held steady at No. 2 with two first-place votes. No. 3 Alabama moved up a spot and Florida State climbed four places and received the remaining three first-place votes after beating LSU, 45-24. The Seminoles are in the ...

Big Ten football getting lots of TV

September 1, 2023

Big Ten football is used to grabbing the spotlight on Saturdays during the fall. However, it is putting a new spin on maximum exposure and going prime time. The Big Ten’s seven-year deal with Fox, CBS and NBC begins this week, marking the first time a college conference sold its rights to three broadcast networks. NBC’s “Big Ten Saturday Night” also gives the conference its first weekly prime-time package on a broadcast network. The first game is Saturday when No. 7 Penn State hosts West Virginia. Even though there is an increased focus on streaming, 27 of the 30 most-watched ...

Marquee matchups hard to see

August 31, 2023

The Associated Press The opening weekend of college football — the full opener, not the Week 0 appetizer — is a five-day immersive course to get you prepared for an intense and unpredictable 14-week class. The final is due on Jan. 8. Everybody gets an A just for showing up. This season feels like the end of an era in college football, but when the games kick off all the off-the-field messiness drifts away. Week 1 is light on marquee matchups and heavy on potential mismatches. Twelve ranked teams are favored by at least 20 points against FBS opponents. Only one game matches ...

‘Decision-making’ process has elevated Allar

August 30, 2023

Following are the highlights of James Franklin’s Tuesday press conference: Saturday’s game: vs. WVU, 7:30 p.m., NBC) Odds: Penn State is a 20.5-point favorite. Records: Season opener for both teams. Last year: Penn State finished 11-2 and ranked No. 7 by the Associated Press. West Virginia went 5-7 but won two of its last three, beating Oklahoma and winning its season finale at Oklahoma State. Rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 7 by AP. Main storyline: Franklin knows his starting quarterback (Drew Allar) but is not confirming it publicly because “I don’t necessarily see ...

Allar could be most important Lion in ’23

August 26, 2023

The Associated Press The expectations for Drew Allar are even bigger than the Penn State quarterback himself — which is saying something about a guy who sees eye-to-eye with the star offensive tackle who protects his blindside. Allar’s pregame warm-ups have made grown men swoon. He played one series in a competitive game as a freshmen in 2022, throwing four passes in a possession that netted no points at Purdue, yet the performance drew raves from coaches and teammates. One side-arm flick by Allar during the spring game sent a surge of excitement through Penn State fans. “I ...

Sports at a glance

August 25, 2023

‘NitWits’ back on television Nittany Nation Overtime, featuring the “NitWits,” debuts Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WTAJ-TV. The program, now in its 26th year, is a roundtable discussion about Penn State football and will follow the WTAJ late news through the season. Regular panelists are Neil Rudel of the Mirror, Mark Brennan of Lions 247 with FightonState.com, WTAJ hosts Andrew Clay and Ryan Risky and a former Nittany Lion player each week. This week’s guest is Joe Nastasi.