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S P R I N G P R A C T I C E R E P O R T W ill this be the year? Ever since Penn State came roaring back onto the national scene with a surprise Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl appearance in 2016, every off-season has raised ques- tions about whether the Nittany Lions are ready to take the next step. They've won a lot of games since then – 31 in the three seasons that followed their breakthrough performance – but they haven't been able to knock Ohio State from the conference's top rung, and as a direct consequence, they haven't yet reached the College Football Playoff. This coming season, a lot of the necessary pieces appear to be in place for Penn State to do both. They get to play the Buckeyes in Beaver Stadium, presum- ably in prime time in front of a roaring White Out crowd. And barring a run of bad luck on the injury front, they'll be bringing an experienced team into that crucial game. Of the 22 players who started in the Cotton Bowl in December, 14 are set to return this coming fall. That list includes quarterback Sean Clif- ford, leading rusher Journey Brown and leading tack- ler Micah Parsons. In its Way-Too-Early Top 25, ESPN listed Penn State fifth, behind Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia. "The Nittany Lions have won 11 games in three of the previous four seasons under coach James Franklin, but they've struggled to pass Ohio State in the Big Ten East," ESPN's Mark Schlabach observed. "With nine starters coming back on offense, Penn State's chances might be better than ever in 2020." Franklin probably wouldn't dispute that assess- ment. In February, he rattled off a fairly lengthy list of areas in which the Nittany Lions appeared to be trending in the right direction. "I think we've got a chance to be better on the O-line," he said. "I think we have a chance to obviously be better at quarter- back year two. Whenever you're a first-year starter, FIVE QUESTIONS | The Nittany Lions have high hopes but plenty of work to do as they prepare for their 2020 season

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