The big whoop you might have heard in early June from the direction of the Keystone State was probably Penn State backers celebrating the ditching (effective next season) of the Big Ten's East-West format. Among other things, that means the Nittany Lions are not going to be obligated to play Ohio State and Michigan every year, as has been the case since the Big Ten introduced its divisions several years ago. In 2024, Michigan goes away; in 2025, the Wolverines are back on the slate, but the Buckeyes aren't.  That's good news for head coach James Franklin, who has accomplished a lot during his nine seasons in charge at Happy Valley, including Penn State's first Rose Bowl win in nearly 30 years when it beat Utah last January in Pasadena, but has never beaten both Ohio State and Michigan in the same season.

Unfortunately for Franklin, those same Buckeye and Wolverine roadblocks remain in the way this fall as the Big Ten readies for one last season of the current format. But there are some regional observers who believe this fall might be Franklin's chance to finally leapfrog them and steal what will be the final East crown, and would be Penn State's first since 2016...

Bruce Marshall's full breakdown of Penn State's 2023 outlook, which includes how he's playing their win total, can be found below as part of SportsLine's preview of the Big Ten season.

Big Ten preview: Conference winner | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State | Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State | Penn State | Purdue | Rutgers | Wisconsin

2023 Penn State at a glance

• Last Year: 11-2 SU, 9-4 ATS, 9-4 O/U
  
• Returning Starters: Offense 7; Defense 6
• Win Total: 9.5 (Over -145, Under +120)
  

What do you need to know about Penn State before locking in your Big Ten futures bets? And which side of their win total makes for the best play? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Big Ten futures betting strategy from a veteran college football expert!