Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
3 8 O C T O B E R 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 20 win over LSU. Defense was USC's Achilles' heel in its first two seasons un- der Lincoln Riley, just as it often was at Oklahoma when Riley was in charge of that program. This offseason, he tapped rising star (and former Penn State cor- nerback) D'Anton Lynn to serve as de- fensive coordinator. Against the 13th- ranked Tigers, Lynn's defense gave up only 2 touchdowns. A week later, it blanked Utah State in a 48-0 win. Is it premature to put the Trojans near the top of this list on the basis of two impressive games? Perhaps. USC's visit to Michigan on Sept. 21 will tell us more about how legit they really are. But the schedule sets up well for them. They get Penn State at home on Oct. 12, and after visiting Maryland on Oct. 19, they won't have to leave the West Coast for the rest of the regular season, a wel- come reprieve from the harshest realities of Big Ten membership. It might seem unlikely that the Tro- jans could lose a Heisman Trophy-win- ning quarterback in Caleb Williams, join a tougher conference and end up with a better record, but that is not an implau- sible scenario. 3. Penn State The Nittany Lions inspired a lot of cau- tious optimism this offseason, and their 34-12 victory over West Virginia in Week 1 didn't do anything to change the vibe in State College. The optimism stems from a seemingly much improved big-play capability. In their 34-12 win in Morgantown, the Lions had touchdowns of 50 and 40 yards, along with a 55-yard pass completion and a 40- yard Nicholas Singleton run — just what first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ko- telnicki was hired to do. The caution comes from the realiza- tion that Penn State pulled off some im- pressive early-season wins in 2021, '22 and '23, only to stumble later in the year. We like what we saw on opening day, but there's a long way to go. 4. Oregon As soon as the Ducks landed former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the transfer portal last December, they became a trendy pick to win the confer- ence title in their first season of Big Ten membership. Maybe that will still hap- pen, but they certainly didn't look ready to compete at a championship level in a 24-14 victory over Idaho in Week 1. The Ducks' offensive line was stalemated by an FCS foe, with the Vandals totaling 3 sacks and allowing only 2.9 yards per rush. Meanwhile, Gabriel threw for the quietest 380 yards you'll ever see There's too much skill-position talent on this team to write it off after a slug- gish start, but the Ducks' opener, cou- pled with a narrow escape against Boise State in Week 2, has raised some red flags given who they'll need to beat to reach the championship game. Ohio State vis- its Eugene on Oct. 12 and after that come trips to Michigan (Nov. 2) and Wisconsin (Nov. 16). 5. Michigan J.J. McCarthy was never going to be easily replaced, and indeed, former walk- on Warren Davis struggled in Michigan's first two games, throwing for a combined 322 yards against Fresno State and Texas, with more interceptions (3) than touch- down passes (2). Even if the Wolverines aren't able to replicate last year's offense, they can still lean on their defense. Three of its starters — tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and cornerback Will Johnson — have been hailed as potential first-round draft picks next year. They'll cause prob- lems for just about everyone Michigan faces. Still, the Wolverines will need Davis and/or fellow QB Alex Orji to rally the of- fense if this team is to reach the playoff for the fourth consecutive season. 6. Iowa The Hawkeyes got off to a strong start, pounding Illinois State, 40-0, on opening day. Kirk Ferentz missed the game while serving a suspension for a Level II recruit- ing violation, and he wasn't the only Fe- rentz absent from the sideline at Kinnick Stadium. Missing, too, was his son Brian Ferentz, who was ousted as offensive co- ordinator after a 2023 season in which Iowa averaged 15.4 points per game. Miraculously, the Hawkeyes still man- aged to win 10 games last year despite their dismal offensive showing. They would no doubt prefer not to lean so hard on their defense in 2024, and Cade McNa- Coach Ryan Day has gone 58-8 at Ohio State, including a 39-3 mark in Big Ten play, but all three of those losses have been to archrival Michigan. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL