Penn State Football is Big Ten 'Sleeper Team,' Top Analyst Says

Ahead of the 2024 season, Penn State Football is tied with Michigan for the third-best odds to win the Big Ten conference, trailing only Ohio State and Oregon.

Penn State Football, James Franklin — Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports)

With an over/ under set for 9.5 wins for the third season in a row, Vegas certainly believes that Penn State will have a shot to not only compete in the Big Ten, but to compete for a slot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history in 2024.

247Sports analyst Josh Pate believes, however, that Penn State is the darkhorse to win the Big Ten conference in 2024, if one thing goes right for the Nittany Lions.

Talking on his show Late Kick with Josh Pate Thursday, Josh Pate argued that new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is the key for Penn State in the Big Ten race in 2024. According to Pate, Kotelnicki “specializes in explosivity,” which is “the absolute last thing Penn State was known for last year and has been known for over the last few years.”

Explosiveness Could Hold Key for Penn State Football

Pate is absolutely right on this metric, as Penn State ranked 97^th nationally in plays of 20+ yards in 2023. Kotelnicki’s offense at Kansas, however, ranked 17^th.

Pate continued that Penn State could again be very good defensively under Tom Allen.

Pate noted that Penn State addressed the cornerback position in the transfer portal, going out and getting both AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber.

After a discussion with 247Sports’ Tyler Donahue, Pate also mentioned that the Penn State coaching staff also seemed confident in the players that they have on the roster, outside of needing to go out and get players in the portal at cornerback, a good sign that the staff is confident in the defense even with losing a myriad of talent to the NFL draft in 2024.

Pate noted, “I’m confident in them” if Kotelnicki can revamp the offense and make the Nittany Lions offense more explosive in 2024. As a program, Pate argues that Penn State is “floating just outside of the high end status…in the Big Ten”. Pate ends the discussion saying, “if the addition there of Andy Kotelnicki is the spark, then [the Nittany Lions] can win the Big Ten.”

“If the addition of (offensive coordinator) Andy Kotelnicki is the spark, then they could win the Big Ten.”

@LateKickJosh says Penn State is his sleeper team in the Big Ten for 2024 | @PennStateFball | @Lions247

https://t.co/mDIbi3diL6 pic.twitter.com/M4RY5hpZGp

— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) May 23, 2024

Is Penn State Built to Thrive in Revamped Big Ten?

Penn State Football, Abdul Carter — Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

With the expansion of the Big Ten, Penn State will face stiffer competition for the coveted two spots in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis in 2024.

However, with the elimination of divisions in the Big Ten this season, Penn State’s schedule is favorable in the Big Ten title race.

Penn State Football gets Big Ten favorite Ohio State at home in 2024 and avoids both other teams with top-four odds to win the conference in Michigan and Oregon.

With the new non-divisional setup, even if Penn State loses to the Buckeyes at home in 2024, the Nittany Lions would have the opportunity to still get to Indianapolis at 11-1, potentially for a rematch with the Buckeyes, if the Nittany Lions can avoid a second loss.