Penn State (+13.5) Might Be The Biggest Home Underdog Line in PSU's 127-Year History

By D.J. Byrnes on October 23, 2014 at 11:36 am
Sad Nittany Lions fans are sad after Urban Meyer and company almost burned down Beaver Stadium in 2012.
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Ohio State opened up as 11.5-point favorites over Penn State. It was a line that seemed suspiciously low at the time, and bettors agreed; the line was almost instantly bet up to 13.5.

It's a line that still seems suspiciously low, but then again, I'm an unabashed Ohio State fan. But consider this: Penn State might be walking into Saturday night's game as the biggest home underdogs in their 127-year history. (The Nittany Lions will definitely the biggest home underdogs in the last 20 years.)

In fact, Penn State has only been double digit underdogs in any venue 19 times in the last 22 seasons.

From Dave Jones of PennLive.com:

Year opponent spread result COVER?
1993 vs. Tennessee (Citrus) +10 W 31-13 Yes
1997 vs. Florida (Citrus) +13 L 6-21 No
1998 at Ohio State  +15 L 9-28 No
2000 at Ohio State +12 L 6-45 No
2000 Purdue +13 W 22-20 Yes
2000 at Michigan +15 L 11-33 No
2001 Miami +13 L 7-33 No
2003 at Nebraska +10 L 10-18 Yes
2003 at Purdue +12 L 14-28 No
2003 at Iowa +10 L 14-26 No
2004 at Minnesota +15 L 7-16 Yes
2006 at Ohio State +17 L 6-28 No
2010 at Alabama +12 L 3-23 No
2010 at Ohio State +18 L 14-38 No
2011 Alabama +12 L 11-27 No
2011 at Wisconsin +15 L 7-45 No
2013 at Ohio State +16 L 14-63 No
2013 at Wisconsin +24 W 31-24 Yes
2014 Ohio State +13.5 ?? ??

In the last 18 contests in which Penn State has been double-digit underdogs, they've only covered in five of those contests (and only outright won three of them).

History has nothing to do with Saturday night's contest — after all, it's the first meeting in what could be a long rivalry between Urban Meyer and James Franklin — but historical trends are historical trends, and history hasn't been kind to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

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