Behind Enemy Lines: Penn State Edition

With the 2023 Rutgers Football season right around the corner, we here at The Knight Report have decided to go around to each of the beat writers from the Scarlet Knights upcoming opponents this season to learn more about each team ahead of the first kickoff to the season.

With that being said, let's continue with our Penn State preview as TKR spoke with Dylan Callaghan-Croley of HappyValleyInsider.com to learn more about the Nittany Lions.

Not a The Knight Report subscriber? Join today for access to all our premium content and message board community. Already INSIDE? Join the conversation on The ROUND TABLE FORUM!

What are Penn State's expectations going into the season?

The expectations for Penn State entering this fall are high. With Drew Allar at quarterback, one of the top running back rooms in the country, and one of the nation's best defenses, the expectations from the fanbase are sky-high, and the media's expectations are not too far behind. Penn State fans, at the very least, are expecting a 10-win season, but I get the sense that a decent portion would be disappointed if the Nittany Lions were to lose both to Ohio State and Michigan this fall. From a media perspective, 10-2 appears to be the baseline; anything worse would be considered a disappointing season, and anything better would be considered a win for the Nittany Lions.

What would you say Penn State's greatest strength and weakness is?

Penn State's greatest strength from a positional perspective is the running back. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are one of the best running back duos in the Big Ten. Add in Trey Potts as the third-string running back, and there may not be any trio better in the sport.When it comes to weakness, it would have to be Penn State's defensive tackle depth. The top three or four defensive tackles will be solid for the Nittany Lions, but they do not have any sort of dominating force at the position. If the season gets derailed because of defensive issues, this will likely be the root cause.

What is the biggest difference between last year's Penn State team and this one?

I'm going to go with the ceiling of the quarterback play. With Sean Clifford, you knew what you were going to get most weeks; it was a decent floor, but the ceiling was capped quite low as well. By no means was he a bad quarterback, but he was also never elite by any means either. With Drew Allar, however, Penn State has a potential star. He has the size and arm strength that make scouts drool, and as long as he can continue to improve his accuracy, the sky is the limit for Allar. He's by far the best pure quarterback Penn State has had since Kerry Collins, and if even comes close to meeting expectations that Penn State fans have set for him, it could be a special season for Allar and the Nittany Lions.

Who do you think is poised for a breakthrough season?

I'm going to avoid going with Allar again for this one. Instead, I'll go with wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. The slot receiver is someone that we've been expecting to break out each of the last two seasons, but it simply didn't happen. However, last year, he finished off his season really strong with great games against Michigan State and Utah in the Rose Bowl. He'll have another starting role this season and will also move inside. His speed and athleticism are likely to create better mismatches for him and the Nittany Lions offense. I don't think any wide receiver is going to have an incredible year for the Nittany Lions, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Lambert-Smith end up being the Nittany Lions' top wide receiver stat-wise by the end of the year.

What would you mark a successful season for Penn State?

A successful season for Penn State this year is another New Year's Six Bowl trip with a win over one of Ohio State or Michigan. If they do that, one would believe they're likely an 11-1 team, and at that point, a College Football Playoff berth would be very much a possibility. I think the Nittany Lions need to show they can beat one of those programs, especially with the conference only getting stronger in 2024 with the additions of USC, UCLA, and now Oregon and Washington. People would be happy with a New Year's Six berth regardless, but without beating one of those two teams this year, it would probably feel like quite a stagnant season for the Nittany Lions in terms of progression forward.

What is your season-long prediction for Penn State?

I admittedly have not gotten this far in my preseason yet to make a prediction for Penn State, but I guess this is a better time than ever. As I write this, I'm fighting internally between 11-1 and 10-2. I think the absolute floor is a 9-3 season, but that would probably be quite a disappointment unless the Nittany Lions did so while fighting through multiple key injuries. I do think this is the Nittany Lions' best opportunity to beat a team like Ohio State, but I'm still not sure I love how they match up with Michigan. However, I'm also pretty high on Allar and think by the time the Nittany Lions face Ohio State, he could be in a really strong groove, and facing tough defenses in Illinois and Iowa could be a good test for him before facing a team like Ohio State. I think this Penn State defense is one of the top five in the country as well. With that, give me Penn State going 11-1 this season with a win over Ohio State and a close loss to Michigan.