We approach the launch of another exciting season in college football. Fingers are crossed that Penn State Football winds up partners in the fireworks show and that the citizens of Happy Valley are… well… happy.
Whiteouts and those deafening cheers in Beaver Stadium are on our minds. Time has flown by. It’s year 11 of the James Franklin coaching era, and he has an 88-39 record to show for it.
We haven’t seen a Big Ten title won by the Blue and White since 2016. We also haven’t heard that the Nittany Lions are due one this season, but this is a good team that can surprise some people.
The tale will be told by how this year’s version of the Penn State Football team answers the following questions.
How does Penn State replace three starters along the offensive line?
You’ve probably heard this a time or two.
No, you’ve watched this game long enough to have done so more than that, but football is a game won in the trenches.
Well, that has been a topic of discussion around these parts. Penn State must replace three starters who left for the NFL. Drew Shelton, JB Nelson, Nick Dawkins, Sal Wormley, and Anthony Donkoh are the projected starters. Three are seniors (Wormley, Nelson, and Dawkins). Wormley has earned a spot on the preseason Outland Trophy watchlist.
Is Andy Kotelnicki good enough to help the Nittany Lions offense past Ohio State?
There was a lot that the Penn State offense could hang its hat on last season.
They averaged 36.2 points per game, and the offense took care of the football, but against the two best teams they played, Ohio State and Michigan, the Nittany Lions averaged 13.5 points. They also lost a fumble while battling the Wolverines.
Explosive plays are why Andy Kotelnicki was hired. With the Kansas Jayhawks a season ago, he helped craft an offense that produced 76 plays of 20 yards or more last season while Penn State was only able to do so 47 times.
Is Drew Allar too cautious with the football?
Much was made of Drew Allar’s 25-2 touchdown-to-interception last season and for good reason. As mentioned earlier, the Buckeyes and Wolverines caused some issues. Allar only threw for 191 and 70 passing yards versus Ohio State and Michigan respectively.
Still, they say a quarterback’s best friend is a strong running game, and Penn State has that in the form of the Nick Singleton/Kaytron Allen combo. If the O-line is up to snuff and Kotelnicki is worth the money he has been given, the Nittany Lions can do work. Drew Allar has to push the ball down the field though.
Penn State has lost seven straight games to the Buckeyes and three straight at the hands of the Maize and Blue if you are curious.
Can this wide receiver core explode or is all the pressure on the running game?
KeAndre Lambert-Smith plays for Auburn now.
You might remember Lambert-Smith as being Penn State’s leading receiver last season. He’ll be hard to replace as no returning wideout posted more catches than the 19 receptions snagged by Harrison Wallace in 2023.
Part of the problem is Wallace hasn’t been able to stay healthy, so it’s probably wise to avoid the temptation of relying on him. Someone will have to emerge.
Perhaps Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming is the key? He was ‘one of the guys’ last season. He’ll be ‘the guy’ here now at Penn State. This unit has to take pressure off of Allar and the running game. The questions are about if they can.
Can Tom Allen raise an already high bar from last season?
Penn State Football posted the most sacks of any NCAA football team last season (177). They also allowed the fewest total yards and the fewest yards per play of any program. That’s a long-winded way of saying the new coordinator, Tom Allen, has a lot to live up to.
Can he do it? Well, he’ll have to try. You may have heard. Manny Diaz was hired as Duke’s head coach. The road won’t be easy though. Allen will be without Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac. They now play for the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens respectively.
Wait! You didn’t think the offense was the only unit that lost talent, did you?
The cupboard isn’t bare. That’s good news.
Abdul Carter has earned a spot on the preseason Nagurski Trophy watch list. Dani Dennis-Sutton will be a nice partner in crime.
Georgia transfer A.J. Harris and safety K.J. Winston will help lead what should be a deep secondary.
Is Penn State good enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff?
Truth be told, had the College Football Playoff adopted a 12-team structure eight years ago, the Nittany Lions would have already qualified six times during its existence.
The short answer is ‘yes’. Penn State is good enough to make the College Football Playoff. What are their chances? Well, the answer to that is also simple. No one knows until we arrive.
MORE: Penn State Kicks Off 2022 Recruiting Cycle with Explosive Commitment
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