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College Football Schedule Week 5 – Game info College Football Season 2023
Penn State (4-0, 1-0 Away) vs. Northwestern (2-2, 2-0 Home)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Venue: Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
TV Channel: BTN
Live Stream: FuboTV
Live Radio: WNTP 990AM (Penn State) or 89.3FM WNUR (Northwestern).

The Northwestern Wildcats treated their fans to an incredible comeback victory last weekend, overcoming a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The miraculous overtime victory showed the fight that Wildcats have inside of them, but they will need much more than that this weekend with Penn State coming to town. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who have one of the best defenses in college football, offer an entirely different kind of challenge. Can the Wildcats keep it close?

Penn State vs Northwestern Odds, Spread, Over/Under, Moneyline - College Football Odds Week 5

Moneyline: Penn State Nittany Lions (-5000), Northwestern Wildcats (+1700)
Spread: Penn State -26.5 (-115), Northwestern +26.5 (-115)
Total: Over/Under 45.5 points

Penn State at Northwestern Preview

The Northwestern Wildcats are 2-2 in 2023, having saved themselves from a losing record with their incredible comeback win over Minnesota last weekend. Head coach David Braun’s players showed incredible resiliency by forcing overtime after entering the fourth-quarter down 31-10.

Wildcats QB Ben Bryant was at his brilliant best against the Gophers. He completed 33 of 49 passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns without throwing a single interception. Since the Wildcats only rushed for 92 total yards, Bryant truly put the team on his back to get the victory. Wide receiver Bryce Kirtz was the other standout performer, catching 10 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

This comeback says a lot about the Northwestern players, who have dealt with an offseason of drama that saw head coach Pat Fitzgerald fired following a hazing investigation. The Wildcats quickly had to adjust to a new head coach in Braun, and last week’s result suggests the team has made that transition well.

Of course, Penn State is on a completely different level than the Minnesota team the Wildcats came back to beat. Northwestern will be tested this weekend in ways they haven't experienced in previous weeks. The Nittany Lions’ defense is regarded as one of the best in college football, and moving the ball against them will be difficult in all phases of the game.

Bryant was sacked five times in the Wildcats’ season-opener at Rutgers, which ended with a disappointing 24-7 loss. He threw for only 169 yards and was intercepted in that game. He will face a much more daunting defensive unit than that one this weekend, and the Wildcats’ offensive line will need to do a better job of protecting him if Northwestern will have any chance to win.

If the offensive linemen can’t keep their quarterback upright, it will be a long day for Northwestern. Not only does Penn State have a dominant defense, but the Nittany Lions have also been sharp on offense. They have scored at least 30 points in all their games so far, led by young quarterback Drew Allar, who has looked the part during his first season as a starter.

Through his first four games, Allar has appeared very comfortable, passing for 903 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. He is reading the field very well and delivering under pressure. The future seems bright for Penn State with Allar in charge.

The Nittany Lions won’t be too worried about Northwestern’s pass rush, and they will see opportunities with their running game as well. The Wildcats gave up 244 rushing yards to Minnesota last week, which suggests Penn State should have no issue grinding out a win once they go ahead on the scoreboard. Nick Singleton leads a talented group of Penn State running backs who should have plenty of success against this Northwestern defense.

Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction and Pick

Despite that fantastic comeback by Northwestern last week, the only question that will be on people’s minds this week is how big the deficit will be when they lose to Penn State. Northwestern does have the advantage of playing in front of it home crowd, and that can create surprise results from time to time.

While I don’t see an upset in the cards, I could see Penn State not scoring as many points as people expect. This game was a low-scoring one last year, with Penn State winning 17-7. Even if the Nittany Lions do jump out to a lead, I expect them to run down the clock and secure the victory with their running backs. They will be more focused on their upcoming bye week than running up the score. My main selection for this game is the under.

The Pick: Total Points: Under 45.5 (+105)

Since I don’t expect the Nittany Lions to run up the score in this one, I think Northwestern should be able to cover the spread. Scoring will be difficult for the Wildcats, but they have the home-field advantage and managed to limit Penn State to only 17 points last year.

The Pick: Northwestern Wildcats +26.5 (-115) 

Best College Football Same-Game Parlay Picks today for Penn State vs. Northwestern: 2-Leg Parlay Pick (+170)

Leg-1 SGP Pick: Total Points: Under 45.5 (+105)

Leg-2 SGP Pick: Northwestern Wildcats +26.5 (-115) 

Odds are subject to change*

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