The Drew Allar show finally begins.

Penn State will host West Virginia in a thrilling season opener in which hopes – and expectations – are sky-high for the Nittany Lions.

How to Watch Penn State vs West Virginia:

TV: NBC

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, September 2, 2023

Radio: LionVision

Online Streaming: Peacock

Odds: The Nittany Lions are currently 20.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 48.5.

Weather: Partly cloudy with a high of 82 degrees. No wind.

Tickets

Grab your tickets for as low as $90 at viagogo.

Penn State vs West Virginia Preview

The Nittany Lions are the heavy favorites against a rebuilding West Virginia team whose coach is entering the season on one of the hottest seats in the country. Nevertheless, this is the reintroduction of an old rivalry game, and while Penn State has dominated the series 48-9-2, anything can happen.

Drew Allar is one of the most highly touted quarterback recruits to land in University Park, and while many of the Nittany Lions’ highest-rated signal callers have struggled to meet expectations, fans are confident in the 6-5, 243-pound sophomore can change the narrative.

Penn State also has a devastating backfield led by the best running back in the country, Nick Singleton. The Nittany Lions will look to gash the suspect Mountaineer defense and let their own secondary shut down the dynamic Garrett Greene and his West Virginia passing attack.

Prediction

I feel for Neal Brown because I think he’s a good coach – he proved it with an outstanding 35-16 run at Troy – but it’s a tall order to head into one of the largest stadiums in the world and beat a loaded, top-10 roster. I think both teams start out slow, but this turns into a shootout in the second half and ultimately, Allar and the Nittany Lions pull away, 52-35.