College GameDay thrives on chaos, and Saturday was no different. With the whole crew stepping on stage in white, it perfectly set up the chaos that is going to unfold at Beaver Stadium. James Franklin is ready with his squad to squash the “Big Game James” moniker and build something new. But on the other side of the ring, Dan Lanning is equally set on handing Franklin another big upset. Every Ducks and Nittany Lions fans remember the 45-37 bloodbath. So, is there a shot at that happening again? Well, the GameDay crew thinks otherwise. Pat McAfee and Co. stepped on stage with quite the “We support Penn State” attire.

And well, Lanning wasn’t having any of it. Zachary Neel quickly took to X to share, “Pat McAfee says that Dan Lanning texted him this morning and gave him a hard time about the entire GameDay crew wearing white ahead of the white-out.” Could it be that this bias had managed to poke Lanning in the wrong way? Well, we can’t blame the Oregon HC if that was the case. Lanning’s media posture has been precise. He’s flipped narrative wars into motivation tools before. Remember the Oregon vs Colorado “playing for clicks” claim? Yeah, the HC was definitely not far from the truth with the Buffs taking home a freaking 36-point loss.

Also, this GameDay marks the 33rd appearance of the Oregon Ducks on the show. So, it’s quite natural that Lanning would want the crew in all green. But hey, it’s whiteout at Pennsylvania and McAfee and the crew are only honouring that ritual…. right?

False.

McAfee, Nick Saban, guest picker LaVar Arrington, and Kirk Herbstreit are all in cahoots for the Penn State Nittany Lions W. Even though the Ducks have been extremely dominant over their 4-win run, for this road game, the GameDay crew thinks James Franklin has what it takes to finally win a big game.

However, for the fans, we’re gonna make this showdown simple: Will Penn State win, or will Oregon upset them again? Let’s check the numbers.

Dan Lanning or “Big game” James Franklin

Lanning found a freaking gem in Dante Moore. This kid is already in the 5th rank when it comes to pure passing efficiency (195.9). Now, when you pair this with an offense that has managed to average 523 yards per game, you get the perfect monster in your hands.

But keeping the monster protected is also important. The Ducks’ O-line already ranks at the top for pass-blocking. Back during the Oregon State game, the Ducks ONLY allowed 2 pressures on a 38 pass play. That’s commendable, and that’s the exact performance the Ducks will need against Penn State.

Keep in mind, the Nittany Lions’ defensive line has given out barely 224 total yards. So protecting Moore is key. But now, when we switch the tapes, what do we get for Penn State offense and Ducks defense? Well, for Franklin, open routes for Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, and for Lanning, stop Allen and Singleton at ANY cost.

We genuinely won’t be surprised if this game ends up becoming another high-score bloodbath like the one we witnessed back in 2024.