No. 8 Penn State Football vs. West Virginia burning questions: Big games, big arms and big bodies

No. 8 Penn State Football vs. West Virginia is coming up on Saturday to kick off a crucial chapter for coach James Franklin as the Nittany Lions look to do more than just contend for a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff spot.

The Lions have talent and upside but are still looking to shake troublesome themes that contribute to underperformance on college football’s biggest stages.

Here’s a look at three Burning questions for the Nittany Lions as Penn State Football vs. West Virginia Looms:

Question #1: Does Penn State have the offense to deliver in big games?

Ricky Rahne struggled in big games.

Kirk Ciarocca never really got the chance.

And then Mike Yurcich couldn’t unlock the full force of his offense in futile Penn State losses to Michigan and Ohio State.

Enter Andy Kotelnicki, a hot name from his time at Kansas and an innovator, but jaded Penn State fans are fair to wonder if common sense can prevail in his approach to playcalling.

Remember, Yurcich was also billed as a creative and showed it at times over his three seasons in Happy Valley, but couldn’t deliver output in big games.

Whether West Virginia is or isn’t a “big game” might depend on the person asked, but the Week 1 matchup most definitely is a tone-setter and a quick glimpse at Kotelnick’s pulse and instinct for the art of calling plays, not just scribbling them out on cocktail napkins.

And maybe as the 2024 season begins to unfold, we might soon be able to tell if the Lions’ biggest scoring problem against top-10 teams isn’t the OC at all.

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Question #2: Is Drew Allar the kind of QB to elevate talent around him?

By almost every measure, Sean Clifford was the perfect man for the job as Penn State’s starting quarterback. He was vocal. He was tireless, confident and diligent. He could do a little with his legs and a little with his arm, and he showed up for his teammates over and over and over again.

But the missing piece all throughout his time as Penn State’s starter, which some historians believe dated back to the 1800s, was that Clifford was never going to be the guy to bring more out of his skill players than they already had. In other words, he might have been a good trigger man for an offense that had elite weapons, but when the whole program struggled to find the right pieces and identify players who could separate or win 50/50 balls, Clifford notably struggled against talented defenses.

The question now is, can Allar avoid the same fate as he approaches his junior season? He has far greater physical gifts with his frame and easy power on his throws, but the jury is still out whether he can be the guy who pushes Penn State’s offense to another level. He might have to be if the Lions wideouts don’t take a big, collective step forward in 2024.

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Question #3: Where does this Penn State D-line rank among Franklin’s deepest?

This time last year, Penn State had all kinds of questions about its depth at both defensive tackle and the end spots. No question, the Lions’ starters ranged from sound to dynamic, but the options for the 4th, 5th and 6th spots in those rotations were far from sure things. The dialogue is different this preseason because the rotations look much more stable.

The transition of Abdul Carter from linebacker to defensive end helped in that process and allowed Franklin to borrow from a position of strength to enhance a spot that needed Carter’s upside. He should thrive in his role as a pass-rusher, as should Dani Dennis-Sutton, but perhaps the true beauty at DE is in the depth.

Zuriah Fisher is healthy. Veterans Smith Vilbert and Amin Vanover are stout reserves who can thrive on clearer, smaller roles. Young guys Mylachi Williams and Jaylen Harvey highlight the future of the position and have veterans to help them be ready to produce as early as next season.

At defensive tackle, Zane Durant looks ready to be a star in his third season and Dvon J-Thomas is a portrait of consistently solid play as they both presumably start against WVU. But that group, too, runs deeper with experienced options with Alonzo Ford Jr. back healthy, Hakeem Beamon perhaps better served in a more specialized role, and Coziah Izzard back in the mix as a reliable run defender who can also put pressure on quarterbacks.

Young options in Penn State’s pipeline at D-tackle are impressive, too, headlined by freshman former four-star Liam Andrews.

MORE: 3 Key Matchups Penn State Must Win to Beat West Virginia

 

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