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White out game6/3/2023 The Penn State offense has scored at least 1.8 more points than the opponents’ average allowed in 10 years, 3 times they’ve scored a significant amount below the opponents’ average, and 3 times they were basically spot-on. all other games? Here, we see some real positivity. Therefore, maybe the best way to showcase how the Whiteout benefits Penn State’s offense is to compare the opponents’ allowed points in the Whiteout vs. Non-conference layups against schools like Idaho, Illinois State, Kent State, and Pitt tend to inflate Penn State’s per-game offensive numbers. This obviously makes sense considering Whiteout opponents have mostly been powerhouses. In five years, the PSU offense has surpassed its yearly-per-game scoring average in the Whiteout (blue bars) but in 11 years, they fell below their average (orange and brown). In terms of Penn State’s offense, it’s a bit more of a mixed bag. Therefore, the difference between hosting Ohio State and visiting Ohio State has been worth roughly 10 points in Franklin Era…at least, defensively. On the road, Penn State has held Ohio State to 6.3 points less than what they normally score. While that’s still below Ohio State’s per-game average, the dip hasn’t been as steep. visited the Horseshoe in 2015, 2017, and 2019 – Penn State gave up 38, 39, and 28 points, respectively. When Ohio State traveled to Beaver Stadium and faced the “monochromatic mayhem” of the Whiteout in 2014, 20, the Buckeyes scored 15.8 points less than they averaged in all other games those seasons. But, especially in the Franklin era, the defense has done a nice job holding some top-tier offenses (OSU and Michigan) down well below their scoring average. Almost every year since 2004, Penn State has finished near the top of the Big Ten in points allowed. Now, this trend is not solely attributable to the Whiteout and the crowd, obviously. In the graph below, we see that the Penn State defense has held the opposition below their seasonal scoring average in every Whiteout save one (the 2013 overtime thriller against Michigan). Scoringįor starters, let’s compare scoring output in Whiteout games against what Penn State and those Whiteout opponents typically score in all other games. These games should only kick-off after dark, even in September. Also, there should never, ever be a noon kickoff for a Whiteout. 2012 OSU was also undefeated but ineligible for postseason play.Īs you can see from the notes, on a pure win/loss standpoint, the Whiteout has yielded a far lower win-% than normal home games but also, they tend to be played against much tougher teams. ![]() Both Alabama (2011) and OSU (2014) won national championships in the years that they were the Whiteout opponents.Penn State’s Whiteout opponents’ final records were 154-56 combined (73%) and included 9 teams that won 10+ games only 2 teams (2007 ND and 2008 Illinois) finished with losing records.Only 2 games (2007 Notre Dame and 2011 Alabama) have been out-of-conference games.Penn State is 4-2 against Michigan in Whiteouts and 2-3 against Ohio State.Penn State is 8-8 (50%) in Whiteout games but 90-22 (80%) at home since 2004.Because of the Whiteout’s ‘circle the date’ stature, it’s no surprise that historical Big Ten heavyweights Michigan (6 Whiteout appearances) and Ohio State (5 Whiteout appearances) dominate the table below. ![]() ![]() But, while the hype of the Whiteout is nearly unmatched, does it give Penn State an actual advantage on the field? Are there some quantifiable, statistical signs that emerge because of the Whiteout crowd? The Opponents & Tidbitsīefore we get into the specifics, let’s take a look at the teams who’ve been schedule as Penn State’s Whiteout opponent over the years, starting with Purdue in 2004. Two-page Sports Illustrated photo spreads, ESPN spots like this video from 2012, and viral moments like Michigan being forced to call a timeout on the first play from scrimmage in 2019, have all elevated this one-time promotional gimmick and made it the greatest college football tradition of the 21 st century. Since 2004, Penn State’s annual Whiteout has grown into one of the biggest spectacles in college football and college sports overall.
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