The Big Games: Penn State

In 2025, the UCLA Bruins will face nine teams in the BIG10 conference. With how good each BIG10 team is, how are the Bruins projected to do against the second?

Oct 5, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Jaylin Davies (6) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

UCLA is gearing up for a huge season under the leadership of Head Coach DeShaun Foster, and transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after a rocky 5-7 year, in which the Bruins played in the tough BIG10 conference for the first time.

With six of their seven losses coming from BIG10 opponents, and nine of their games being against BIG10 teams this year, how do the experts, companies, and public think the Bruins will fare against their second BIG10 opponent of the year Penn State?

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Expert Opinion

• Accordiing to analyst Bill Connelly among others, the Penn State Nittany Lions are projected to win against the Bruins, ranked by ESPN as the third best team in the nation.

• Penn State has a track record of winning when projected to win and losing when projected to lose, as stated by Connelly that, "Over the past three seasons, Penn State is 34-2 as a favorite."

• Furthermore, Connelly said that, "If PSU continues the "win as a favorite, lose as a dog" thing in 2025, the Nittany Lions probably will reach the Big Ten championship game again, having lost only at Ohio State on Nov. 1."

• Experts can be wrong with their predictions, but they are often correct which is why an upset can be hoped for, but according to experts, doubted to happen.

The Corporate Opinion

• If someone doesn’t know football, but they play games, then their perception of college football teams will most likely come from EA's College Football 26.

• Said person, if asked who would win between the Nittany Lions and the Bruins, would most likely say the Nittany Lions. For when a simulation was run, the Nittany Lions came out on top 58-21.

• In the simulated game the defense held Penn State QB Drew Allar to zero passing touchdowns, which is great. But they allowed eight rushing touchdowns leading to their blowout.

• Between corporate and expert opinion, week five looks dim for the Bruins, but what about the public opinion?

The Public Opinion

• Crowd wisdom sometimes can be more factually correct than expert opinion, and the best way to gauge the public opinion from home is betting lines and odds.

• According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Penn State has -105 odds to win more than 10 games.

Across the three main opinions, the Bruins lose 0-3, but football is unpredictable and if UCLA can pull off a major upset then things will look up for the Bruins. Unfortunately until then, week five looks dim for UCLA.

- Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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