Penn State vs UCLA Prediction: Nittany Lions Look to Bounce Back

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 3:18 AM ET

And now we're back to your regularly scheduled program of Penn State vs light and easy opponents.

The Nittany Lions didn't exactly push themselves in non-conference play against Nevada, FIU, and Villanova, and then came the Oregon game.

Things got a lot harder, and one tough double-overtime loss later, and now they get a UCLA team that might go winless, and then Northwestern.

The Bruins were at least a bit more competitive in a 17-14 loss at Northwestern, but they're having a hard time getting the O going.

They'll be the underdogs the rest of the season, but at least a good showing against Penn State would be a decent step forward.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs UCLA Bruins Preview

How To Watch Penn State vs UCLA

Saturday, October 4, 2025
Game Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: CBS
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

Predicting Every Remaining Game
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
Group of Five Teams, Pac-12, ND
@PeteFiutak

Why Penn State Will Win

UCLA can't move the ball, and even worse, it can't stop anyone else from moving the chains.

The Bruins are bad on third down offense, horrible defensively, and Penn State should be able to get back on track after the Oregon loss by doing the basics.

After a bad late throw in the loss, the key here is to get quarterback Drew Allar rolling. He struggled to get the ball down the field last week, and the midrange throws weren't going anywhere.

Block, tackle, get the running game going, hit the short throws for first downs, repeat - and it starts with that ground attack that should go off.

Why UCLA Will Win

How down are the Nittany Lions?

They almost found a way to pull it off in a gut-check performance, but couldn't close. Now they have to fly all the way to LA as part of a run of three road games in four dates, with the last one at Ohio State.

For all of the problems UCLA is having, it's not too awful at keeping defenses out of the backfield.

There's no turnover problem, the ground game hasn't been bad since getting hammered by Utah, and yes, UCLA has the best quarterback on the field.

Penn State Will Be Businesslike

It'll be a dominant performance defensively against a UCLA attack that really can't move.

The Bruins haven't been hit hard by anyone's passing game, mainly because they haven't faced one. Penn State will run early, get a lead, and then let Allar let it rip.

He's too experienced to have any major confidence issues, but after struggling last week, a few downfield throws will cleanse the palate.

Penn State vs UCLA Prediction, Betting Lines

Penn State 38, UCLA 10
Line: Penn State -25.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 2.5

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

- Bowl Projections

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: