Home / Sports / Penn State Favored to End Top-10 Opponent Curse
Penn State Favored to End Top-10 Opponent Curse
27 Sep
Summary
- Penn State coach James Franklin's teams have won just 4 of 24 games against AP top 10 opponents
- Franklin is 2-18 in the regular season versus top 10 foes, with both wins coming 9 years ago
- This will be the first time Penn State is favored in a regular-season game against a top 10 team under Franklin
On September 27th, 2025, Penn State coach James Franklin will have another opportunity to prove he can lead his team to victory against a top-ranked opponent. The No. 3 Nittany Lions are set to host the No. 6 Oregon Ducks in a highly anticipated matchup.
Over the past 11 seasons, Franklin's teams have struggled mightily against AP top 10 opponents, winning just 4 of 24 such games. Particularly concerning is his 2-18 record in the regular season versus top 10 foes, with both of those wins coming nine years ago in 2016.
However, this game presents a unique situation for Franklin and Penn State. For the first time in any of those 21 previous matchups against top 10 teams, the Nittany Lions are favored, currently listed as 3.5-point favorites over the Ducks. This could be a sign that the gap between Penn State and the nation's elite is starting to close.
While Franklin has proven adept at beating teams he's "supposed to beat," his program's consistent top 10 rankings suggest they should be competing more evenly with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. But the data shows Penn State has been the higher-ranked team in only 3 of their 20 regular-season games against top 10 opponents.
