Penn State Football 2023 Preview: Way too early season prediction

The Penn State Nittany Lions have a lot of expectations this season after a dominant 11-2 season last year. They are top ten all-time in college football victories and have the second-largest stadium in the Western hemisphere that fills up every Saturday for gameday.

Their success last season felt similar to head coach James Franklin's earlier years with the program. However, their two losses were massive against Ohio State and Michigan in Big Ten Conference play. So what should we expect from the Nittany Lions in 2023?

Key matchups

The Penn State Nittany Lions have to go through the gamut this year, considering their schedule.

They have West Virginia, Delaware and UMass in their non-conference games while facing huge foes in the Big Ten. That includes annual showdowns with Ohio State and Michigan and a face off in a regular season finale against Michigan State. Only the Wolverines will be at home this season, so that will be interesting.

Players to watch for Penn State

The most important position in football is the quarterback, and they have sophomore Drew Allar but has not really had much time under center. Last season, he finished 35-of-60 for 344 yards with four touchdowns. He has lofty expectations as a first-year starter and should be able to live up to the hype.

Junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith is expected to be dominant throughout the year, as he recorded 24 receptions for 389 yards (16.2 yards per catch) with four touchdown receptions. He is going to be a part of an extremely talented wide receiver room and should do well at getting open for Allar to find him.

Their defense is headed by junior defensive end Chop Robinson and should be in line for a massive year after only appearing in one game in 2022. The defense has to continue improving if they want to be taken seriously at the next level.

Expectations and goals

The main goal for Penn State has to be to make the College Football Playoffs. It's a lofty goal, as they're not a top-four program at this point in time, but they need wins against Ohio State and Michigan to get that consideration. They will get close, but they are a full tier below those teams.

Penn State needs to see what Allur is going to be as a starting quarterback and deal with his ebbs and flows. Expect a step back from last year's record, as an 8-9 win season seems incoming.