Reasons for optimism for Penn State against Oregon

White out Week is finally here and the Nittany Lions hope to go into the game refreshed coming off of a bye. The 5th ranked Oregon Ducks are no slouches however, and will come out with an intensity that Penn State haven't experienced just yet. It will be a tense affair in Happy Valley, but the Nittany Lions feel they have several advantages they can utilize in order to secure their first ranked win of the season. Here are five reasons for the Nittany Lions to be optimistic about their first ranked encounter of the season.

White Out atmosphere will help the Nittany Lions...and affect Oregon

This may be the most obvious reason for Penn State's potential success, but it's more about the negative effect it will have on Oregon than anything else. Dante Moore has looked like one of college football's most efficient operators these past three weeks, but Beaver Stadium at night during a White Out matchup is a whole different beast, not counting the effect of traveling cross-country for the first time as well. To top it all off, the Nittany Lions are 13-8 all time in White Out games, including winning eight of their past nine. Add in the fact that James Franklin has been imploring fans to make Beaver Stadium as crazy an atmosphere as possible, and you know the fans will want to come out in full force for the squad.

Run game will be huge against Oregon's poor road run D

After the events of the past two games, the running attack for Penn State has well and truly come alive. This comes at the perfect time as Oregon's usually solid run defense gets worse on the road. This season alone, Oregon has only allowed 2.75 rush yard per carry at home. That number balloons to 4.08 on the road. This will definitely be to the Nittany Lion's benefit as both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will thrive should they get to the second level. Which certainly won't be a concern as they have combined for over 440 yards in the past two weeks alone.

Defensive gameplan will work against Dante Moore's inexperience

There is nothing short of praise coming the Nittany Lions' way after the start to the season they have had. They have already compiled eight sacks, tied for eighth in the nation. Dani Dennis-Sutton leads the Power Four in terms of pressures as well with 75, and they are tied for fifth in terms of TFLs as well. While Oregon have been steady so far in eliminating negative plays in their offense, Dante Moore's inexperience in big games will be key for Jim Knowles' game planning. Look for a lot of exotic looks and pressures from the Nittany Lions front seven to affect an inexperienced O-line.

Oregon's inexperience in several areas

Speaking of inexperience, the Oregon Ducks have lost a lot of production over the past two years, especially in important areas such as the O-line and the secondary. In fact, they rank a paltry 115th in returning production, after losing four starters along their O-line and three in their secondary. While they have recruited well up front and they still have guys like Matayo Uiagelelei and Dillon Thieneman, lack of chemistry up front and on the back end both offensively and defensively could be too much to overcome.

Drew Allar will want to have his best game ever

If anyone from Penn State knows anything, they'll know that no one will want to have a bigger game this weekend than Drew Allar. After the events of last season, when Allar threw two critical interceptions to effectively lose the Big Ten championship game, he will be coming in hopefully with a fire and intensity that Penn State fans want from him. This has always been the case for Allar in big conferences game, as last year, he only completed less than 60% of his passes and only averaged around 200 yards in those matchups. To start this season as well, his numbers don't look all that great. One game could change that narrative. Hopefully, with a bye week, and a chance to gain more connections with his rebuilt receiving corps, and most importantly, with Kotelnicki's influence, Drew Allar will look like the QB Penn State fans hope he would look in every important game this year.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Reasons for optimism for Penn State against Oregon