COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 23 Iowa at Penn State
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No. 6 Penn State plays host to UMass on Saturday as the Nittany Lions look to stay undefeated on the season and in line for a shot at the Big Ten title. Saturday's game marks the second meeting between the two schools after Penn State roared to a 48-7 victory during their only previous meeting in 2014. Seeking their first 6-0 start since 2019, the Nittany Lions are heavy favorites again as they catch a UMass team that has lost six in a row since beating New Mexico State in Week 0.

As one of three undefeated teams in the Big Ten East, Penn State has another opportunity to sort out any kinks Saturday against a struggling Minutemen squad before the schedule ramps up with conference championship and College Football Playoff implications at stake. No. 3 Ohio State, No. 2 Michigan and Maryland – unranked but 5-1 overall and 4-0 at home – are all part of a challenging back half slate, which begins when the Nittany Lions visit the Buckeyes in Week 8.

As coach James Franklin and company look to inch one step closer to a potential first CFP berth, it's a great time to get caught up on viewing information, top storylines and more ahead of Penn State's annual homecoming game in Happy Valley. 

How to watch Penn State vs. UMass live

Date: Saturday, Oct. 14 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 
Location: Beaver Stadium -- State College, Pennsylvania
TV: Big Ten Network | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)

Penn State vs. UMass: Need to know

Nittany Lions leading charge on defense: You won't find a better defense in college football than the one residing in State College, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions lead the FBS in total defense, holding opponents to 210.6 yards on average. To break that down, Penn State is allowing just 136.4 yards per game through the air -- a mark that also leads the FBS -- and 74.2 yards per contest on the ground. An average of 9.6 points allowed per game also ranks second in the country behind Michigan. That presents an uphill battle for a UMass offense that already ranks a pedestrian 84th in scoring among FBS teams.

All eyes on Drew Allar: Penn State's sophomore signal-caller hasn't been explosive in his first season as the starter, but Allar deserves credit for playing mistake-free football. Approaching the midway point of the season, he owns a 64.6% completion rate and has thrown for 1,092 yards and nine touchdowns passing with no interceptions. Four of those touchdown passes came in a 31-0 home win against Iowa in Week 5. Though Allar has averaged just 191.8 yards passing in the four games since a 325-yard performance against West Virginia, don't be surprised if he has a big day against a UMass defense that ranks 74th nationally against the pass.

Coaches with a history: Penn State coach James Franklin and UMass coach Don Brown are hardly strangers. Both spent time together as assistants at Maryland from 2009-10 before Brown later served as the defensive coordinator for Big Ten rival Michigan from 2016-20. While Brown won't be working with the same caliber of talent he had at his disposal in Ann Arbor, his familiarity with Franklin and Penn State is something the Minutemen must maximize in game-planning against the Nittany Lions. Brown was 0-2 in visits to Beaver Stadium as Michigan's defensive coordinator, with the Wolverines allowing a combined 70 points in road trips to Penn State in 2017 and 2019. 

Penn State vs. UMass prediction, picks

Odds via SportsLine consensus

On paper, the Minutemen are no match for the Nittany Lions. And while the game isn't played on paper, a six-game losing streak for UMass amid modest competition -- Auburn is the only other power conference school UMass has faced -- doesn't exactly lead one to suspect that Penn State will have much trouble handling business here. There's a reason why heavyweight programs schedule games like this. That reason will be abundantly clear Saturday when the Nittany Lions steamroll their way to victory for some extra momentum ahead of a pivotal stretch for their Big Ten championship and CFP hopes. Pick: Penn State -41.5

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 7, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.