The B1G 10: Patience keeps Drew Allar, Penn State on Playoff pace. Plus the Power Poll and more ...

1. The B1G Story

It may have been the most important win in James Franklin’s 10 seasons at Penn State. Not for what was earned, but what was learned.

Drew Allar can be patient. So can Mike Yurcich.

That simple yet wildly complex statement might be enough to take a talented team with a rare but young quarterback all the way to the Playoff.

“We just have to be patient,” Allar, Penn State’s sophomore quarterback, said after a 31-0 rout of Iowa. “We have to keep building on it.”

Patience. It’s not easy for a young quarterback with 5 stars in front his name coming out of high school. Not easy for a quarterback who sat behind 6th-year QB Sean Clifford last season — even though it was clear who was more talented.

Not easy for Yurcich — an offensive coordinator and play-caller with a wide variety of elite skill players surrounding a quarterback with NFL arm talent — to avoid the temptation of going off script and looking for big plays. Allar and Yurcich figured it out, and passed the first test.

The real season begins in 1 month at Ohio State, but not until Penn State continues to grow and develop as an offense. It begins this weekend at Northwestern, where they’ll let the grass grow high (and may even water it prior to the game) like they always do, and try every way imaginable to knock Allar off his game and force Yurcich to change what works.

What works is this: If teams play Cover 4 — the preferred defense for just about everyone in the Big Ten — you throw underneath. Don’t get baited into chucking it deep into Cover 4, where it looks like man coverage underneath until a safety rolls over and brackets the receiver on a go route and the pass is defended — or worse, intercepted.

This is what elite Iowa DC Phil Parker has done his entire career. He baits young quarterbacks (and many veterans) into seeing something that’s not actually there (and not seeing what is) and thus throwing into double coverage.

Allar, maybe the most talented Penn State quarterback in school history, didn’t bite. He was patient. He threw underneath and didn’t try to force balls downfield. His final numbers showed it: He completed 25 of 37 passes for 166 yards, a measly 4.5 per attempt.

Now, the remainder of the stat line: 4 TDs, 0 INTs. Patience pays.

That was, as much as anything, the most important revelation of the young season. Especially with the mega game at Ohio State looming.

2. Reaping the rewards

So why was the Iowa game, with a handful of big wins under Franklin in the rearview and more big games on the horizon, so big?

Bigger than the 2016 Big Ten Championship, and bigger than the Rose and Fiesta Bowl wins.

Because those teams weren’t complete, didn’t have enough to win the national championship. This team does.

But his young quarterback has to learn how to win games in the Big Ten, and smartly lead a talented team that has been uniquely built over the past 4 years.

Franklin and his staff’s recruiting has stocked the Lions with impact players developed within the program. The 4 recruiting classes weren’t all among the nation’s elite (only the No. 8-ranked 2022 class), but the staff nailed evaluations.

They developed players who were bought in to change Penn State from good to great. For every 5-star like LB Curtis Jacobs, there’s a former walk-on turned team captain like LB Dominic DeLuca.

For every 5-star like TE Theo Johnson, there’s a TE like Tyler Warren, a 3-star with no overall ranking, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He has caught 4 of Allar’s 8 TD passes.

For every 5-star like Allar, there’s an LB Abdul Carter, who was the 33rd player ranked at his position in 2022. An argument can be made that Carter is currently playing better than any linebacker in that class — including LSU’s Harold Perkins.

The staff has developed elite players, under the radar players (hello, DT Zane Durant), and sprinkled in a few impact players from the transfer portal (C Hunter Nourzad, CB Johnny Dixon, WR Dante Cephas) to begin the season with no holes. Except, that is, the unknown of how quickly Allar’s talent would take over.

3. Patience and points, The Epilogue

Penn State has scored at least 30 points in each of its past 11 games, the longest streak in FBS. The Lions have scored in 28 straight quarters, also the longest streak in the nation.

Four of those games and 16 of those quarters belong to Allar, who is quickly soaking up what the staff is preaching. This is when it gets good, when it slows down for a young quarterback and you can’t give him too much information.

He sees it all, he digests it, he executes. That’s how rare seasons develop, especially with the talent level at Penn State.

One more critical thing: Penn State is the only team in college football that hasn’t turned the ball over.

“When you’re carrying the ball, whoever it is, you’re carrying the entire program. And everybody’s hopes and dreams within the program are in your hands,” Franklin said. “But then also in terms of decision-making at quarterback, offensive line protection of the quarterback’s blind side. All those factor into ball security.”

All of that led to the biggest win under Franklin. Not because of what it was, but what was learned and what it could lead to.

4. Bring the rage

While Ryan Day was screaming at an old man in his 80s after Ohio State’s thrilling last-second win over Notre Dame, there was an odd irony in the air.

An irony that Day himself reinforced — and nearly cost Ohio State the game were it not for a huge 3rd-and-19 catch by WR Emeka Egbuka a series later that set up a game-winning 1-yard TD run.

A quick recap: Prior to the game, former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz — an 86-year-old former Notre Dame coach — said Ohio State wasn’t physical enough to beat the Irish. So after Ohio State scored and won the game, Day began his postgame remarks on the field — moments after the win — by berating Holtz and his statement.

About 10 minutes earlier, with Ohio State facing a 4th-and-half-a-yard at the Notre Dame 11 and trailing 14-10, Day chose to try to convert a 1st down. The play call: a jet sweep to Egbuka.

Ohio State has 1 of the top 5 offensive lines in the nation, and 1 of the top 3 running backs in the nation (TreVeyon Henderson), and needed maybe a couple of feet. Instead of getting physical and going right at the defense, Day chose a jet sweep to try and beat the Irish defense to the corner.

It lost yardage, and the drive ended on downs. If Notre Dame had run out the clock on the ensuing drive — the Irish left 1:26 on the game clock — Day’s jet sweep play call would’ve underscored what Holtz said all along.

Or at least left Day open to heavy criticism from an Ohio State fan base that already is annoyed by 2 straight losses to Michigan.

5. The Weekly 5

Five games against the spread.

Indiana at Maryland (-14.5)

Illinois (+1.5) at Purdue

Michigan (-17.5) at Nebraska

Michigan State (+10.5) at Iowa

Penn State at Northwestern (+25.5)

Last week: 3-2.

Season: 15-4.

6. Your tape is your resume

An NFL scout analyzes a draft eligible Big Ten player. This week: Michigan Edge Jaylen Harrell.

“Took him a while to get on the field, but he started making plays last year and it was obvious he has that burst and bend off the edge that’s so important in our league. He’s long and athletic and chases; all good traits. The problem is, can he get by (offensive) tackles in our league? Will he get swallowed? Guys his size (6-4, 245 pounds) either get bigger and become a 4-3 end, or find a way to create deception off the edge to utilize athleticism against the big tackles. That’s not an easy thing to do.”

7. Powered Up

This week’s Power Poll, and 1 big thing.

1. Michigan: What do we really know about the Wolverines? Wake me when Nov. 11 arrives.

2. Ohio State: This is the most talented team in the nation, a fact that was reintroduced in the Notre Dame game. The defense held Notre Dame’s pass-happy offense to 14 points, and the offense will get better (more on that later).

3. Penn State: Let’s not underestimate the impact of QB Drew Allar’s 4 TD passes and near flawless performance vs. a talented Iowa defense — exactly a month before a trip to Columbus.

4. Wisconsin: Good spot for a bye week. The passing game looks clunky, the operation isn’t smooth or efficient. Two critical weeks for OC Phil Longo and QB Tanner Mordecai.

5. Iowa: As bad as it looked at Penn State, the Hawkeyes will be favored in every game the remainder of the season. Don’t be shocked when December rolls around and Iowa is 11-1.

6. Maryland: Believe it, everyone: Maryland is 4th in the Big Ten in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) and has forced 11 turnovers. That’s right, everyone, defense in College Park.

7. Northwestern: Don’t get fooled by what will be an ugly loss this week to Penn State. Wildcats are beginning to find it offensively with QB Ben Bryant, and could be bowl eligible by the end of the season.

8. Minnesota: The defense that laid the foundation of the last 2 seasons is struggling in 2023. Gophers are 12th in the Big Ten in average yards per play allowed (5.72).

9. Rutgers: The practice game this week (vs. FCS Wagner) is good for an offense that isn’t as bad as it showed against Michigan. QB Gavin Wimsatt isn’t as bad as it looked, either.

10. Illinois: Turnovers are killing any sort of momentum on offense. The Illini are 121st in the nation in turnovers (10), and are forcing the defense to consistently defend short fields. QB Luke Altmyer (7 INTs) has to make better decisions.

11. Nebraska: Who knows how it ends, but the QB who dreamed of playing for Nebraska is getting his shot. In 2 starts, Heinrich Haarberg has accounted for 520 yards (255 rushing) and 5 TDs (2 rush), and the Huskers have wins over Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech.

12. Michigan State: The Spartans have scored 16 points since coach Mel Tucker was suspended and eventually fired, but it’s not all on the offense. The team is clearly rattled, and was in rebuild mode before the Tucker problems.

13. Indiana: The defense has finally returned under coach Tom Allen, and is holding teams under 20 points per game. But it’s getting little help from a wildly inconsistent offense.

14. Purdue: The difference between Ryan Walters coordinating the No. 1 scoring defense in the Big Ten in 2022 at Illinois, and the No. 14 at Purdue: a lack of elite playmakers.

8. Ask and you shall receive

Matt: Are you satisfied now with (Kyle) McCord? He won a big game on the road. He’s elite! He will bring home a national title! — Joey Duncan, Columbus, Ohio.

Joey:

Take a step back and see the Notre Dame game for what it was: a dominating defense taking control of the game.

That’s the last piece of a championship run for Day at Ohio State. In 2002, Jim Tressel had an elite defense. So did Urban Meyer in 2014. Now here we are, and the Ohio State defense can be disruptive from all 3 levels.

And in the irony of ironies, the 1 thing that Day has crushed at Ohio State as both the offensive coordinator and head coach is now the lone question. One drive — an impressive drive with everything on the line — does not mean McCord is ready to ascend the to the level of Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields or CJ Stroud. Or even JT Barrett.

He has a long way to go. That doesn’t mean he won’t get better every game — in fact, the odds are (with Day’s coaching) he will get much better. But in that transition, there could be dangerous spots, most notably in 2 weeks against Penn State.

Let’s let this thing play out for a few weeks before making a drastic statement that McCord is good enough to win a national title.

9. Numbers

24. If you still don’t think the right quarterback is everything, let me introduce Ben Bryant. A transfer from Cincinnati, Bryant has completely changed Northwestern’s offense.

From slow and plodding, to smart and efficient. Northwestern has gone from averaging 13.8 to 24. Bryant is completing 60 percent of his passes, and has a TD/INT ratio of 6/3.

The 2022 quarterbacks (there were 5) had a 10/17 ratio.

10. Quote to note

Minnesota coach PJ Fleck: “This is what brings teams together. I mean, this is the adversity. That’s what I told them. I said, ‘We’re going to respond.’ So there’s no quit in this team, and we’re finding out a lot about a lot of guys. And we got to respond to the truth in data that you have.”