Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M since 2016, they are going to have to con- tend with two very different offenses, both of which are stocked with returning All-Americans and likely Heisman Tro- phy contenders. As usual, the Buckeyes boast speed ev- erywhere and can seemingly conjure big plays at will. All-America receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is their top player, but fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka was nearly as pro- ductive last year, and offensive coordina- tor Brian Hartline tweeted recently that Ohio State has three future first-round draft picks in its wideout corps, the third likely being Julian Fleming. Michigan, meanwhile, uses a powerful offensive line to batter opponents into submission. The Wolverines did that with relish in a 41-17 victory over the visiting Nittany Lions last year, a game in which they amassed 418 rushing yards. With running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards returning after com- bining for 2,454 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns last season, Michigan should field one of the best ground attacks in the country again this fall Corum could have left early after suf- fering a knee injury that forced him to miss Michigan's postseason, but he opted to return, a decision that Harbaugh said "made my day, made my week, made my offseason." At Big Ten Media Days in July, Penn State coach James Franklin said that he and his coordinators — Manny Diaz on defense and Mike Yurcich on offense — approach the task of roster construction by think- ing primarily about the schemes they want to run rather than the oppo- nents they'll face. "It starts with Penn State and building our defense the way Manny Diaz and I feel like it needs to be built," Franklin said. "Offensively, it's the same thing. Mike Yurcich and I think about how our offense needs to be built from a size perspective, from a talent perspective, from a speed perspective, whatever it may be. "Although you're going to factor in your opponents and those types of things, more than ever, you've got to focus on your program and what you need to be successful running the schemes that you do. We study best practices. We're aware of what Michigan is doing. We're aware of what Ohio State is doing. We study those programs, but ultimately, it's about us." If Michigan goes undefeated in its first nine games — an entirely plausible sce- nario thanks in part to a nonconference slate that Lindy's described as "softer than your grandmother's bath towels" — it will be closing in on a milestone victory when it visits Beaver Stadium on Nov. 11. No team in college football history has won 1,000 games. A 9-0 start followed by a win in State College would put the Wolverines on the doorstep at 999. Penn State has some history of its own, of course. With an all-time record of 920- 406-41, the Nittany Lions go into the 2023 season ranked seventh on the list of all-time winningest FBS programs. Included in those 920 wins are three against Michigan during Franklin's ten- ure as head coach. The Lions haven't had much luck in Ann Arbor over that span, with three of their four losses at the Big House since 2014 coming by 24 points or more, but they've won two of the past three at Beaver Stadium. This year's game could decide whether PSU has any chance of reaching the Big Ten Championship Game. The Lions won't be favored to defeat Ohio State on the road on Oct. 21, so beating Michigan could well be necessary for Penn State to have a shot at returning to Indianapolis or earning consideration for the College Football Playoff if there's room for two Big Ten teams. The calculus will change a year from now when the playoff expands from four to 12 teams. No two-loss team has ever made the field in the nine years that the playoff has been held, but that unwritten rule will go by the wayside in 2024. Last season, there were six two-loss teams in the top 12 of the CFP rankings heading into bowl season, and even a pair of three- loss teams. Another potential change for Penn State next season is that its series with Michigan, which has been contested an- nually since 2013, is set to go on hiatus for a year. The recent addition of Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten could alter the plan, but under the current schedul- ing model, Michigan disappears in 2024 and Ohio State in 2025. Franklin has long been a propo- nent of anything that enhances the Big Ten's ability to compete at the sport's highest level, and he's fine with the changes that are coming. "I think most people would agree, whether it's athletic directors or coaches, that we made decisions that we felt were going to put the confer- ence in the best position to compete for national championships, and not only that, give us the best chance to get multiple teams into the playoffs," he said. "I think you have to look at it that way, and our conference has made some decisions to do that. Obviously, with any decision you make, there's going to be some give and take. There are going to be some things that are gained, and there are going to be some things that are lost. But I think for the most part, the benefits will outweigh those things." ■ James Franklin has guided Penn State to a 78-36 record, including 11 wins in four of the past seven seasons. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL