Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
2 0 A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 3 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 1. at Ohio State | Oct. 21 This game is three months away, but odds- makers have already established the Lions as 10.5-point underdogs. Coach Ryan Day's team returns star power all over, but there is a question mark about the transition at quar- terback. Expect the Buckeyes to be just fine, though, and rolling on all cylinders when PSU arrives in Columbus. 2. Michigan | Nov. 11 The main reason why the two-time de- fending Big Ten champs are the runners-up on this list is because the game is at Beaver Stadium, where Penn State has won five of its past seven against them. With the Wolverines looking like a good bet to defend their title, it's likely that PSU will be an un- derdog in this game, too. 3. Michigan State in Detroit | Nov. 24 It's hard to predict what the Lions and Spartans will be playing for by the time they meet at Ford Field on Black Friday. Penn State could be eyeing a spot in the Big Ten title game or a New Year's Six bowl berth. It's also possible that both of those scenarios will be off the table by late November. Motivation is a factor that could impact both sides in this one. 4. at Illinois | Sept. 16 After opening with a pair of nonconfer- ence home games, Penn State will travel to Champaign in Week 3 for a matchup on FOX's "BIG Noon Kickoff." Coach Bret Bielema's Illini led the nation in scoring de- fense last year (12.8 points per game), and they figure to pose some big challenges for sophomore quarterback Drew Allar when he makes the first road start of his college career. 5. at Maryland | Nov. 4 Coach Mike Locksley has senior quarter- back Taulia Tagovailoa back for one final season. The Terrapins will need their veteran signal-caller to lead the offense to new heights if they're going to pull off some upsets in the Big Ten East. The Lions have dominated this series, winning 42 of 46 all time, but opponents can't afford to sleep on Maryland. 1. Meeting The Moment Unlike last season, when they were unranked after combining to go 11-11 in 2020 and '21, the Nittany Lions are facing high expectations this year. They are eighth according to Athlon and Lindy's and fifth in Phil Steele's preseason rankings. The last time PSU was rated so highly was 2020, when it entered the year eighth in the Associated Press poll. The Lions finished 4-5 that season, the program's first los- ing campaign since 2004. It was, of course, an unusual season due to the stringent COVID-mit- igation efforts that had been put in place, but Penn State's recent trend — underperforming when faced with high expectations and excel- ling when faced with the opposite — does give pause. 2. The Eastern Block Penn State has gone 11-2 and won a New Year's Six bowl game in three of the past six seasons, but it hasn't been back to the Big Ten Championship Game since 2016. Ohio State and Michigan have been the stumbling blocks. During the James Franklin coaching era, the Lions are 1-8 against the Buckeyes and 3-6 versus the Wolverines. If they're going to make their return to India- napolis in the final season of East-West divi- sional play, they'll have to go at least 1-1 against their most vexing opponents. 3. Drew Allar's Ascent All of those lofty expectations for the season are predicated on Allar being ready for the starting quar- terback job. He's a former five-star prospect who flashed an impressive array of skills in 10 appear- ances as Sean Clifford's backup last fall, but the fact remains that he's received only 148 game reps so far. Is he ready to be the full-time starter? We won't begin to get those answers until Sept. 2, when Penn State opens its season against West Virginia. 4. Receivers Ready? This is the other area on offense in which Penn State has some significant unknowns. The Lions are hoping that junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith offered a glimpse of his future when he strafed Utah for 124 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl. They're also hoping that transfer Dante Cephas can approximate the productivity he enjoyed at Kent State. Even if all of that happens, the Lions will still need players such as redshirt sopho- more Harrison Wallace III, redshirt freshman Kaden Saunders and sophomore Omari Evans to take major steps forward. There are many questions to answer here. 5. Middle Managers The Lions appear loaded in most areas on defense, but the tackle posts have been a concern ever since Michigan gouged PSU for 418 yards and 4 touch- downs on the ground last year. The team's most significant addition since then has been Old Dominion transfer Alonzo Ford Jr., a 6-foot-2, 287-pound junior who won honorable mention All-Sun Belt notice last season. Michigan will be bringing two of the nation's best running backs to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11 in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Will PSU be better prepared to face the Wolverines' ground attack than it was a year ago in Ann Arbor? T O U G H E S T G A M E S S E A S O N S T O R Y L I N E S The Nittany Lions are looking for junior receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to take a step forward after finishing fourth on the team with 24 catches last year for 389 yards. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Penn State has defeated Ohio State only once in nine tries during the James Franklin coaching era. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE