Blue White Illustrated

back up. But the ultimate solution to Penn State's problems is for the current starting five – all of whom will be back next sea- son – to gain experience. That's why it's important for this team to somehow come up with the victories it needs to become bowl-eligible. More than the bowl game itself, the Lions need prac- tice. They need the reps they would get if they were to make the postseason. From this vantage point, however, a bowl berth seems far from assured. TIM OWEN ASSISTANT EDITOR Perhaps the individual outcomes of a few games so far have been surprising – a last-second win vs. UCF, a comeback against Rutgers, a blowout loss to Northwestern – but the big picture is exactly what had been painted throughout the off-season. This team is not without great players. There simply aren't enough of them. That's especially true along the offen- sive line and at linebacker – which have been two of the biggest personnel story- lines since spring practice. The depth is- sues at those two position units have reared their ugly heads time and time again, both during wins and during losses. But thanks to some of PSU's top-end talent – DaeSean Hamilton, Geno Lewis, Christian Hackenberg, Anthony Zettel, Mike Hull, Adrian Amos, to name some – the team has been able to make up for the lack of depth and grind out victories. But not without a little help from Lady Luck. A few of the early wins were boosted by a lucky bounce here, a gust of wind there. Will good fortune continue to stand on Penn State's side in the second half of the season, the most difficult portion of the schedule? Only time will tell. But it'll certainly need it. In addition to a couple in-game breaks, Penn State has made it through the first six games without any major in- juries. If the Nittany Lions are to reach seven or eight wins, that trend must continue. Penn State cannot afford to lose anyone. As the season wears on, PSU needs as many of those great players as possible. And it might also need to get another – Miles Dieffenbach – back into the fray. A few lucky bounces and timely gusts of wind won't hurt, either. Because those off-season storylines aren't going anywhere soon. RYAN SNYDER RECRUITING REPORTER Penn State's perform- ance against Northwestern may have been a major disappointment to Nittany Lion fans, but there are plenty of reasons to feel good about where this group is headed. If you were being honest with yourself, you knew that this team was never going to compete for a spot in the new College Football Playoff. Even if the Nittany Lions were to somehow stumble into it, we all know this team just doesn't have the depth or athleticism to compete with some of the nation's elite right now. So, I propose that you look at that game against the Wildcats in a completely different light. In my playing days – they were brief – I discovered very early that I tended to work a lot harder after getting smacked around a few times. That's exactly what I think this young offensive line is going to do. I had the pleasure of getting to know almost all of the young men along that offensive front when they were still in high school, and one thing I picked up on very quickly was their competitive- ness. After being ridiculed for six consecu- tive weeks by the media, plus plenty of unflattering film sessions, it's truly gut check time for this group. Sure, the Ohio State game will be tough, but the four opponents that follow – Maryland, In- diana, Temple and Illinois – were allow- ing a combined average of 182 yards rushing through the first five games of the season, and that shouldn't change much in the second half of the year. What will change in those games is the drive and confidence in this group of of- fensive linemen. As they improve, so will the rest of the offense. I'll even go so far as to say that Penn State will improve enough to upset someone in the second half of the season. ■

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