by With Whiteout Weekend on the horizon, who better to break down this year’s rendition of the greatest tradition in sports than a Penn State alum? Penn State started the Whiteout back in 2004, and it has since grown into the most electric atmosphere in all of sports. They say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and in recent years, Penn State has been the visiting team in a “Scarlet-out” at Ohio State, a “Maze-out,” at Michigan, and most recently an “Orange-out” at Illinois last weekend. Teams have seen the environment the Whiteout has created in Happy Valley and try to recreate it whenever they host Penn State. I am beyond excited to be traveling to the game this year, all the way from Texas.
This Year’s Game
The 2023 iteration of the Whiteout will feature the 24th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes traveling to State College to face off against the 7th-ranked Nittany Lions. This is a Penn State team looking to take that jump to become a true national title contender. Penn State’s ability to contend in the Big Ten East, as well as the national level, will depend largely on the growth of sophomore gun slinger Drew Allar. A five-star recruit, Allar is in his first year in control of the Nittany Lions’ offense, and while he hasn’t looked like a Heisman trophy finalist this year, he has shown flashes of that five-star ability. Last week against Illinois was Allar’s first start against a Big Ten defense, and the level of competition will only increase against an always-strong Hawkeye unit. Look for Penn State to come out running the rock to take pressure off Allar early as he eases into the most important game of his life before Mike Yurich lets Drew sling it in the passing game.
Iowa is a good team in their own right. The Hawkeyes always have a suffocating defense, but this year’s offense, quarterbacked by Cade McNamara, is much improved from a year ago. Penn State’s offensive line struggled last week at Illinois, which sets the stage for an intriguing matchup with Iowa’s defensive line. Look for Iowa to try to take away Penn State’s rushing attack and force Drew Allar to throw on their terms.
Penn State is more talented and better coached than Iowa at every position, so the outcome of this game will never really be in question. The biggest question in this game is, “How good is Penn State really?” A strong showing Saturday night will cement the Nittany Lions’ status as a national title contender, while a close win will simply lead to more questions later in the year prior to the Ohio State and Michigan games.
The History
Historically, Penn State has hosted either Ohio State or Michigan for the Whiteout, with the most notable taking place against Ohio State in 2016. The number two team in the country Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Happy Valley to take on a then unranked Nittany Lion team. A Penn State touchdown on a blocked field goal propelled the Nittany Lions to a program-altering 2016 Big Ten Championship. Eleven other Whiteouts have been played against either Ohio State or Michigan, with Penn State winning five of those six matchups. Penn State has used the atmosphere of the Whiteout to give them a little extra edge.
What Could Have Been
In the past, Penn State’s most formidable home opponent has faced the added pressure of playing in one of the most hostile environments in college football. That has not been the case the last three years, with Whiteouts against Auburn, Minnesota, and now Iowa. Don’t get me wrong, its awesome to be at a Whiteout win, but the 2019 win against Michigan was a much better experience as a fan compared to Auburn in 2021 and Minnesota last year.
What many Penn State fans do not realize is that the Whiteout opponent is not really in the University or Athletic Department’s control. FOX owns the rights to many of Penn State’s games, so the network often chooses to showcase post-season MLB games at night rather than a game like Penn State vs. Ohio State, which they instead aired at noon. Another factor out of Penn State’s control is the Big Ten’s “no night games in November rule.” This prevented a 2021 and 2023 Whiteout versus Michigan. I think that many fans would agree with me that the Whiteout is just better at night, so playing these teams during a Whiteout early in the day is not really an option.
As most fans around college football know, money has hurt many of the traditions that make our game great. That is the reason that we have been robbed in the last three years. No Michigan in 2021 or 2023 and no OSU in 2022.