2024 Penn State Football Predictions: Playoff or Bust?

The 2024 Penn State Football season kicks off with lofty expectations.

Head coach James Franklin leads a roster built around former five-star quarterback Drew Allar entering a junior campaign with the luxury of one of the nation’s most dynamic backfield duos alongside him on offense, an experienced and athletic tight end group. At the same time, one of college football’s stingiest defenses reloads on the fly.

Even though the Nittany Lions are breaking in three new coordinators this season, thanks to the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, and a favorable schedule, there is legitimate belief in Happy Valley that this is the season Franklin’s program finally breaks through.

Here’s how our staff sees Penn State Football’s 2024 campaign playing out:

Robert Casturo, Senior Content Editor

Penn State Football is at a pivotal season in the James Franklin era.

After not making the College Football Playoff during the four-team era, but consistently being one of the top programs to consistently narrowly miss the playoffs, Penn State and James Franklin face immense pressure to deliver and break through to the expanded playoff this season.

With a cohort of junior playmakers on both sides of the ball, Penn State could have its best team on paper of the last half-decade. I predicted 11-1 earlier in the offseason.

While I think the Nittany Lions could certainly drop one of the three tough road games this season, I will keep with my 11-1 prediction, with the Nittany Lions’ sole loss being to Ohio State.

At 11-1 Penn State should be in line to host a playoff game in the first round (and potentially compete for the Big Ten Championship).

I have Penn State hosting and winning in round one and losing to a top-four seed in round two.

Joe Staszak, Senior Penn State Football Reporter

Nick Singleton, Penn State Football — Penn State Football running back Nick Singleton celebrates a touchdown (Image via USA TODAY Sports)

Conspicuous by their absence from the Nittany Lions’ schedule this year are those pesky national champions from Ann Arbor. Oregon found its way into the Big Ten but not on the Penn State schedule this year, either.

Perhaps the best team in the country will make an appearance in Happy Valley though as the Ohio State Buckeyes, currently ranked No. 2 in the country, come to town on November 2nd.

So, on paper, the Nittany Lions’ schedule certainly seems more manageable than usual but they did lose eight players to the NFL last April so they’re not quite as talented a bunch overall.

However, their entire offensive backfield, with quarterback Drew Allar and junior running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, will probably be playing on Sundays next year as well and it’s not going to be easy for opposing defenses to contain all three future NFLers, especially with the addition of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki calling the shots, that is if their depleted offensive line can hold their own.

If college football had the 12-team playoff that they’re implementing this year, Penn State Football would have made the playoffs six of the last eight seasons.

Let’s make that a cool seven of nine years because the Lions will hold their own with another 10-win season, good enough to host a home playoff game in a Rockin’ Happy Valley in December.

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Danny Fisher, Penn State Football Reporter

Drew Allar, Penn State Football — Penn State Nittany Lions starting quarterback Drew Allar (15)(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Penn State should have a season that fans will remember because all signs point to it being one of the best in a while. The Nittany Lions return starting quarterback Drew Allar and one of the best running back duos in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton. Let’s not forget about their star linebacker, Abdul Carter.

The Nittany Lions also drew a favorable schedule in the new Big Ten era. They won’t have to play Michigan or Oregon and host Ohio State.

Penn State should be able to get past West Virginia in Week One and then at least get a win again, either against Wisconsin or USC on the road. If they fall to Ohio State and don’t lose another game, they should sit comfortably at 10-2, and a playoff will be on their horizon.

Penn State will make the playoffs after going 10-2, but sadly, they will get bounced from the postseason in the first round.

Brad Kulp, Penn State Football Reporter

James Franklin, Penn State Football — Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The reality is that the factors that will most impact Penn State’s season are often unpredictable and unplanned—a major injury, a mistake-filled game in the rain, or a tipped pass for an interception at the worst time. These intangibles, often called ‘luck,’ can determine many outcomes. Dumb things will happen.

Is this Nittany Lions team mentally prepared to overcome them? You learn how to win through loss.

The two ugly, ineffective halves against Ohio State and Michigan last year taught this team and its coaching staff a lot, leading to changes. This team won’t make the same mistakes. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will not play conservatively. The offense will be imaginative, utilizing all weapons and adjusting as needed, while the defense will be relentless.

The actual games—Ohio State at home, USC on the road, and Wisconsin on the road—will challenge Penn State in unexpected ways. Can they hold it together and win when chaos strikes? James Franklin has taken steps to increase unpredictability and aggressiveness, which will be crucial.

Those moments will come.

The Penn State Nittany Lions will go 11-1 this season, with a tough, exciting road loss to the resurgent USC Trojans. Then, Franklin will finally conquer his nemesis by beating Ohio State in Happy Valley, securing a top spot in the College Football Playoff.

Chris Snyder, Senior Penn State Wrestling Reporter

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

On paper, Penn State’s first truly tough game of the 2024 season comes in week 9 when the Nittany Lions travel to Wisconsin on October 26th.

On the road at WVU doesn’t scare me, UCLA at home doesn’t scare me, and at USC in early October doesn’t scare me. But the stretch of at Wisconsin, home against Ohio State, and home against Washington will either make or break the Nittany Lions’ chances of making their first-ever College Football Playoffs.

I believe James Franklin has finally shaken his previous tendency to “Lose to a team Penn State has no business losing to”.

The last two seasons the Nittany Lions have defeated every single opponent that they should have. Conversely, they didn’t come close to besting either Michigan or Ohio State, regardless of the seemingly close final scores.

The Wolverines fall off this year’s schedule (cue Harry Doyle: “Thank God”) and only the Buckeyes remain. And regardless of the weather for the game, regardless of how well Drew Allar is playing, regardless of how dominant or mediocre the defense is, and regardless of who’s even playing for either team, I’m here to tell you that Penn State is going to lose that game.

Until James Franklin shows he can win big games against better opponents at a clip higher than once every 10 years then I’m not going to think any differently.

But in the end, the Nittany Lions will most likely stroll into both the Big Ten Championship game and the 2024 College Football Playoffs if my prediction holds out.

Baby steps …

Evan Smith, Senior Penn State Basketball Reporter

I’m not gonna stun anyone by picking 10-2 and earning the program’s first College Football Playoff berth.

Regular season losses at home vs Ohio State and at USC aren’t enough to keep the Nittany Lions out of the playoff, although it will mean they start on the road.

If their first-round matchup is against the ACC or Big 12, Penn State has every chance to pull off the upset. If they have to go south to the $EC, the Nittany Lions will finish 10-3.

MORE: Why 2024 Penn State Football Team Compares to One of Program’s Best Ever

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Joe Staszak

Penn State Sports Columnist at NittanyCental

A proud graduate of Villanova University, Staszak’s first gig in the industry was with PRISM sports in 1989, covering the four local home teams, the Flyers, 76ers and Phillies while also covering the Randall Cunningham-led Philadelphia Eagles.

It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.

After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.

All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.

Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.

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