Oregon showdown could be turning point in Drew Allar's Penn State story

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Big Ten showdown vs. Oregon could be turning point in Drew Allar's Penn State story

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 2:19 PM ET

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar can start rewriting the story of his college career on Saturday.

No. 3 Penn State (3-0) hosts the No. 6 Oregon Ducks (4-0) in its Big Ten opener at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. Beating the Ducks would help Allar prove he doesn't always fold when it matters most.

Drew Allar hasn't been at his best in the biggest games

According to StatMuse, Allar has a 5-7 record against ranked opponents. In these matchups, he has completed a below-average 53.6 percent of his passes for 1,699 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also taken 19 sacks for a loss of 128 yards.

Many of his mistakes in these games came at inopportune times. During last season's College Football Playoff semifinal against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Allar threw an interception to cornerback Christian Gray with the game tied 24-24 and 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter then drilled a game-winning field goal.

Notre Dame picks off Drew Allar late in the fourth pic.twitter.com/F0SZvM5fFa
— ESPN (@espn) January 10, 2025

Those moments must frustrate Penn State fans because they encapsulate Allar's career thus far. Listed at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, the strong-armed QB may have the tools to become a special player. However, the former five-star recruit can't seem to put them together, which may be why he hasn't won more.

The lack of big-game success has left NFL scouts split on the QB. In a story published Wednesday, a scout told ESPN's Pete Thamel he could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. Another scout questioned whether, "he's going to be a guy who teases you?"

Allar's play through his first three games in 2025 isn't helping him. Despite playing no top-25 teams thus far, he has posted a subpar 38.8 QBR. He has also failed to throw for more than 217 passing yards in a game.

But if Allar thrives Saturday, that won't matter. He would bring the program one step closer to winning its first national championship since the 1986 season, which the QB must do to reshape his legacy at Penn State.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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