Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
2 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 4 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / NATE BAUER | WEBSITE EDITOR So much of college football is about timing and schedule, and this season — just like the previous two — is about those same elements for Penn State. The Nit- tany Lions still have Ohio State, which will field one of the best teams in the nation this year. But, in a dramatically evolved landscape that includes an ex- panded College Football Playoff, an ex- panded Big Ten and the elimination of the conference's divisions, this is the season for the Lions to get over the hump. The bugaboo of playing both Ohio State and Michigan is no more. And the new- est juggernaut to the conference, Oregon, isn't on the slate. Instead, Penn State can work out the expected kinks of three new coordinators through the first month if it can get past West Virginia in the opener. With two or fewer losses likely to be a near auto-berth for Big Ten teams to the post- season, it sets up for a meaty middle full of good-not-great opponents, including UCLA, USC, Wisconsin and Washington, with the Buckeyes wedged in between. Penn State will have to earn its entry to the CFP, but its personnel, combined with an expanded margin of error, put long- held aspirations well within reach. Prediction: 10-2 THOMAS FRANK CARR | FOOTBALL ANALYST Penn State embarks on a new adven- ture this fall with the expanded Big Ten folding in the meatiest portions of the Pac-12. With new adventures come un- precedented situations for us to predict. When you consider the team's three new coordinators, this season could end in a wide variety of outcomes. The fun starts out of the gate against West Virginia in the opener. Last season, the Nittany Lions started slowly but ended up routing the Mountaineers at Beaver Stadium. But can they weather a poten- tially sloppy opener on the road? Breaking in a new offense and defense, despite the desire for continuity, isn't easy. If they get through the nonconfer- ence slate unscathed, the Lions will be relatively safe until the meatgrinder starts with a trip to USC on Oct. 12. Despite all the changes, Penn State is still an upper-tier team with a deep de- fensive roster and an underrated and motivated offense. Yes, there are some questions, but I think the season ends in a similar place. Penn State gets through the game against West Virginia and goes 10-2 with losses to Ohio State and USC. Finally, the Lions find themselves in the expanded College Football Playoff. Prediction: 10-2 SEAN FITZ | WEBSITE PUBLISHER With everything going on in the col- lege football offseason, it's been easy to forget about the actual games that are starting on Aug. 31. It's also easy to for- get that Penn State should be bringing back a pretty talented bunch for the 2024 season. James Franklin found three new coordinators for three separate reasons. While there is optimism that comes with that, everything will still hinge on how many points the Nittany Lions can post in big games. The basic formula is going to be the same, at least until the offense can find its wings. Tom Allen, now charged with running a defense instead of running an entire college team, has some talent at his disposal. While he probably won't be as aggressive as his predecessor Manny Diaz, speed all over the defense will make his job a little easier. The defense should once again set the table, and we will see what Drew Allar is made of. If he can find some weapons and gain some confi- dence early, Andy Kotelnicki should have something to work with. Tough road trips to West Virginia, USC and Wisconsin are all games in which Penn State should have the better side, but they remain very tricky. I expect the Lions to be tripped up on the road at least once. Prediction: 10-2 MATT HERB | MANAGING EDITOR Penn State appears to have a lot of the pieces in place to earn a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff, in- cluding the piece that's hardest to find: a high-level starting quarterback. Drew Allar may have had a few rough patches as a sophomore, but the good handily out- weighed the bad, and his physical talent is undeniable. The concern — and I feel like I could have copy-pasted this line from last year's predictions — is that we don't know yet whether the wide receiver corps has made the strides that PSU needs it to make. Pulling transfer Julian Fleming out of Ohio State will certainly help, but what the Lions really need is for their home- grown talent to blossom. If that happens, this offense will be formidable, because the tight end corps and backfield boast proven playmakers, and the line has promise, even with three new starters set to take over. If it doesn't happen, if the Nittany Lions are forced to find workarounds in order to establish an aerial threat, they'll likely find them- STAFF PREDICTIONS Picking Penn State's 2024 Regular-Season Record W H A T T H E Y ' R E S A Y I N G A B O U T P E N N S T A T E … "Don't discount the Nittany Lions this year as they have a very talented team and a schedule tailor made for success. … Penn State has had trouble beating the Big Boys, but this could be the year they finally break through." — Phil Steele's '24 College Football Preview "Penn State has the personnel to make the expanded College Football Playoff. Whether the Lions can get there or advance depends largely on how much the offense improves un- der Kotelnicki, who has an impressive résumé." — Lindy's Sports College Football "The Big Ten is in flux, and the Nittany Lions return an experienced roster. After missing every College Football Playoff in the four-team era, Penn State should host a game this De- cember in the inaugural 12-team version." — Athlon Sports College Football