It is almost gameday, which means it's time for another round of predictions from the Nittany Nation staff and guests!
This week the staff offers their latest picks for Penn State Football versus the Auburn Tigers as both teams are heading into this matchup 2-0.
WHO: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Auburn Tigers
WHEN: Saturday at 3:30pm EST || CBS
WHERE: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) -- Auburn, Alabama
SPREAD: Penn State -3.0 || Over/Under 47.5pts
SERIES RECORD: Penn State leads the series (2-1)
ESPN FPI PREDICTIONS FOR GAME (61.7% CHANCE FOR PENN STATE TO WIN)
Dylan Callaghan-Croley - Nittany Nation beat writer (Penn State: 30 / Auburn: 23)
Penn State is seeking a 3-0 start for the second straight season as it travels down south to Auburn on Saturday.
The name of the game for the Nittany Lions will be stopping the Aubrun rushing attack. Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunters are one of the best running back duos the Nittany Lions will face all season. If they can simply slow down Auburn's run game, they'll be in a great position to win this game.
Offensively, the Nittany Lions have impressed in its first two games with the team’s pass-catchers being very productive. They'll match up against an Auburn secondary that struggled last year and has shown some holes once again in 2022.
With the number of weapons Penn State has on offense, its playmakers should be able to score just enough to get th program another victory and a sweep of Auburn in this two-year home-and-home series. That of course hinges on the Nittany Lions' defense being able to contain Auburn.
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Sam Woloson - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Penn State: 24 / Auburn: 14)
Auburn will absolutely have a chip on its shoulder this weekend. As home underdogs against a team it narrowly lost to last season, I expect the Tigers to come out hot and play very physical, tough football. This will absolutely be a defensive game, which means the winner will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes and capitalizes on opportunities.
I have to give my vote of confidence to the Penn State offense, which has been very good through two games. QB Sean Clifford is dialed in and will have the support of breakout RB Nick Singleton and a host of playmakers on the outside. If Clifford can avoid plays like his pick six against Purdue, the Nittany Lions should be able to hold off the Tigers.
Above all else, though, I'm not sure how Auburn will move the ball on Penn State's defense. The secondary is one of the nation's best and will only get better as younger players continue to develop. We already know that Manny Diaz wants to stack the box to stop Tank Bigsby and the running game, which would leave the corners on an island. I don't think the Tiger receivers or quarterback will be able to make the plays they need when it comes down to it.
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Richie Schnyderite - Nittany Nation Publisher (Penn State: 32 / Auburn: 20)
Some southerners might say this is a bold prediction and if it backfires this could blow up in my face, but I'm very confident that Penn State handles the Tigers pretty easily on Saturday.
Now the Tigers are in a weird state right now, as the fanbase is starting to revolt on HC Bryan Harsin and for good reason, he has a rough year one last season and only beat San Jose State last week by 8 (YIKES). Now add in the fact that both of their QBs are ehh, they haven't throw a TD to a receiver and also haven't created a turnover yet and you see why I'm riding with the Nittany Lions here. However they do have a top rusher in Tank Bisby, but I'm not confident he can lead them to victory all on his own.
Look for Penn State to establish their own running game early, whether that be with Lee, Singleton, Allen or whomever. Either way I think the Lions get that going and it and ir should open up the passing game some as well, creating some nice big chunk play opportunities. Add in the fact that Penn State's secondary is one of the best in the nation and Penn State walks away with a nice victory.
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Alex Murphy - Nittany Nation Staff Writer (Penn State: 28 / Auburn: 17 )
The Nittany Lions overpower Auburn, whose still figuring itself out this season. Without Bo Nix under center, the identity of this team is still being searched for, but Sean Clifford has looked confident under center for Penn State this season and with another great performance on Saturday, this time against an SEC opponent, he'll solidify himself among the top-tier quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Jay Tate - AuburnSports.com Publisher (Auburn: 27 / Penn State: 20)
I look at this matchup from a statistical perspective and think Penn State has an obvious advantage if you go position-by-position. So it would make sense for me to pick the Nittany Lions. With that said, Auburn endured a tumultuous offseason, dealt with a ton of attrition and hasn’t played well this season.
This team views this game as an opportunity to make things right in a general sense. So if the Tigers can get ahead and avoid major mistakes, they’ll have enough confidence to fight to the end.
A few major mistakes could send this team into a tailspin, though. I think this team is fragile on the offensive side. If the mistakes start mounting for Auburn, Penn State should go for the jugular to maximize pressure on the offense to perform. I don’t see Auburn being able to build a meaningful retort in those conditions.
I’ll take Auburn 27-20, which includes at least one defensive or special-teams touchdown.
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