Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1486024
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he definition of success in modern college football is extremely subjec- tive. Having secured a 10-2 regular- season record, with a top-10 finish in the major polls and analytical rankings, Penn State provides a clear example of that wide-ranging spectrum of takes. On one end, the Nittany Lions outper- formed all but the rosiest preseason pre- dictions for the team. Oddsmakers set an over/under of 8.5 wins, with the Nittany Lions finishing 9-3 against the spread on a game-by-game basis. On the other end, Penn State faced exactly two marquee opponents in its 12- game slate. The Nittany Lions dropped a 41-17 decision at then-No. 5 Michigan on Oct. 15 and fell 44-31 to then-No. 2 Ohio State two weeks later, meaning that the toughest tests on the schedule weren't passed. That there's a debate about whether a 10-win season can be considered a suc- cess is, of course, part of the larger prob- lem with college football's increasingly unrealistic standards. That conversation, in which anything short of a four-team College Football Playoff berth signifies failure, is for another day. All of those perspectives are missing the broader context of the game's natu- ral, ongoing narrative. For Penn State, as for all the other teams that are chasing college football's most coveted prizes, the real question is whether progress was made. At PSU, the answer this year was an unequivocal "yes." "We're getting better. We're getting better each week," coach James Franklin said. "That's really what your objective is, to try to get better every single week — at home, on the road, with confer- ence opponents, whatever it may be. I do think we're doing that." In so many ways, that sentiment proved true. An offense that had been inconsis- tent in games against Central Michigan, Northwestern, and especially at Michi- gan, found its footing. Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen each eclipsed 800 rushing yards, becom- ing the first true freshman duo to do so since Steve Slaton and Pat White at West Virginia in 2005. The Lions' three tight ends — redshirt junior Brenton Strange and third-year sophomores Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren — all scored touchdowns in No- vember, again demonstrating versatility and depth unrivaled in the Big Ten. And sixth-year senior quarterback Sean Clifford left Beaver Stadium's turf for the final time with a 4-touchdown performance, confidently guiding the Nittany Lions to four consecutive wins leading into the bowl. All of it occurred despite a rash of in- juries impacting the offensive line and receiving corps. Losing redshirt sopho- more left tackle Olu Fashanu, redshirt freshman left guard Landon Tengwall and redshirt junior right tackle Caedan Wallace to injuries, Penn State had to decide whether to burn the redshirts of several freshmen. And if those setbacks weren't chal- lenging enough, third-year sophomore Parker Washington, the most productive receiver in a room lacking established options, was also lost to injury for the final two games. Defensively, Penn State responded to its dismal loss at Michigan with an increasingly dominant stretch of play to close out the season. Missing two top performers to injury — redshirt junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and third-year sophomore linebacker Curtis Jacobs — the unit didn't skip a beat. Freshman linebacker Abdul Carter, sophomore cornerback Kalen King, sophomore defensive end Chop Robinson, redshirt freshman middle linebacker Kobe King and other underclassmen offered a tan- talizing look at how the group will be led in future seasons, pacing a defense that allowed just 40 combined points in the final month. After the disappointment of the 2021 season, a 7-6 affair coming on the heels of a disastrous, COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, Franklin and his staff were faced with big decisions that were cer- tain to shape the trajectory of the pro- gram. The list is lengthy, but hiring Manny Diaz to replace departing defensive co- ordinator Brent Pry was a good place to start. PSU also made the right call by offer- ing Clifford and sixth-year senior line- backer Jonathan Sutherland an oppor- tunity to return. The oft-criticized pair helped to form a leadership group that was integral to the team's success. Landing super senior wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley in the transfer portal was another good move, as was the deci- sion to name Chuck Losey the successor to retiring strength coach Dwight Galt. The result has been a season that Penn State can be proud of. More important, it's a season that can help bring the pro- gram back to a path of steady progress that opens the door to bigger and better future achievements. That's the real takeaway from the Nit- tany Lions' bounce-back campaign. ■ Coach James Franklin has guided the Nittany Lions to four 10-win regular seasons in the past seven years. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Steady Improvement Is The Goal — And PSU Achieved It