Neil Rudel on football: PSU should have answers to 2023 season’s questions

Ever wonder how many questions a college football coach answers during the season?

In James Franklin’s case, there’s the Tuesday press conference, the Wednesday Quarterback Club and the Wednesday night condensed media scrum. Plus post-game.

That’s roughly 40 questions per week — starting with this weekend’s Media Day on Sunday at Beaver Stadium.

We’ll limit this exercise to just 10 questions.

1. Is this the year the Nittany Lions crash the CFP playoff?

Don’t look now, but this marks Franklin’s 10th year as Penn State’s coach.

Of the previous nine, he’s won 11 games four times, including last year, but each of those seasons has also produced at least two losses.

Four-team playoff fields have not had room for two-loss teams so Penn State will need to go at least 11-1 to make it — until the field expands to 12 teams in 2024.

Experts figure the Nittany Lions could be good enough, having slotted them in most preseason top 10s behind the likes of Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan and alongside LSU, Clemson, Texas, USC and Notre Dame.

The path is defined — beat Ohio State or Michigan and hold serve against the rest of the schedule that Penn State will be favored against.

It’s easier said than done since Franklin is 1-8 vs. the Buckeyes — the fluky win via the blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in 2016 — and 3-6 vs. UM.

They’ve endured several come-from-ahead losses to the Buckeyes and have averaged just 19.1 points against the Wolverines, who dominated them last year at the line of scrimmage.

The Lions, though, looked like a different team down the stretch in 2022, more confident, more explosive and more physical — albeit against the softer portion of their schedule.

If that carries over, this could be the Lions’ best team since their Rose Bowl entry of 2016.

Franklin has recruited extremely well, and the Nits are loaded with returning talent.

2. Where will the leadership come from?

The 2022 team featured strong captains in Sean Clifford and Ji’Ayir Brown and respected seniors PJ Mustipher and Juice Scruggs, among others.

Franklin called the leadership the best of his career, and the lack of opt-outs contributed to the Lions’ impressive win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.

It’s tough to expect a first-year starting quarterback to be the offensive leader, so those responsibilities will fall to the running back tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the nucleus of an experienced line featuring Olu Fashanu, Landon Tengwall and Hunter Nourzad, the tight end combo of Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson and projected top receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

Defensively, the Lions could be even better with heralded linebacker Abdul Carter — the latest future great to wear No. 11 — along with projected high-round picks Kalen King and Chop Robinson.

PSU is especially deep on the defensive front with Dani Dennis-Sutton, Adisa Isaac and Zane Durant as well.

Coordinator Manny Diaz proved to be a home-run hire, although he didn’t have his best game at Michigan as the Lions could/should have loaded the box to stop the run.

3. What are expectations for Drew Allar?

Most of us were lobbying for him to start after the loss to Michigan, or at least get more meaningful snaps in more games.

But Franklin went at his pace, Allar had no public complaints and the decorated Ohio product did appear in 10 games with reasonable success.

Allar showed the ability to look off his primary targets in the Blue-White game and even flashed a Patrick Mahomes-esque sidearm at one point.

Most had grown weary of the underappreciated Clifford so Allar will benefit from a clean slate.

4. Were you surprised that Olu Fashanu came back?

OMG, yes.

Evaluated as perhaps the top tackle available in this past NFL Draft — and the generational wealth that comes with it — Fashanu and his family prayed on their decision and then confirmed it with Franklin and O-line coach Phil Trautwein.

The family rationalized that Olu is still inexperienced, having only started nine games in his career and is young (20) to turn pro. It’s also a family that has embraced its education and values securing a college degree now.

Plus they didn’t mind nipping all the agents’ calls.

NIL opportunities have grown, but details are rarely disclosed so it’s not known how much Fashuna is being compensated.

For his sake, he’ll stay healthy through this season, continue bolstering his stock and land as high as he was projected to this past spring.

5. Was David Pollock’s criticism of O-line fair?

If you missed it, the (now former) ESPN analyst and ex-Georgia Bulldog criticized the Lions’ offensive line in the spring, saying they “stunk,” last year.

Pollock’s comments were in regard to Penn State’s projected win total of 9.5 when he predicted, “I think it’s the under. They’re not physical enough up front.”

While the line didn’t stink in 2022, Pollock probably assesses Penn State in how it fared against Ohio State and Michigan.

In both games, the Lions managed just 111 yards rushing — down 70 from their average per game vs. the rest of their schedule.

The Nittany Lions’ total against the Buckeyes came on 33 attempts — or 3.3 per carry.

Against Michigan, they tried 22 rushes and that included Clifford’s 62-yarder so they were shut down between the tackles.

6. Is there a breakout player to watch?

Keep an eye out for Kent State transfer receiver Dante Cephas, who caught 145 passes for 2,139 yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons with the Golden Flashes.

Cephas is a Pittsburgh native who could step in for the departed Mitchell Tinsley, another transfer (Western Kentucky) who made a quick transition to PSU.

On defense, tackle Jordan van den Berg set a team weight-lifting record two weeks ago, squatting 615 pounds four times.

7. What area of the team is most concerning?

Special teams.

Jake Pinegar didn’t have great range, but he was 6 of 7 from 40-plus last year and 2 for 2 from 50. For his career, he was 49 of 67 over five seasons, stayed while Jordan Stout flourished and provided solid leadership.

Barney Amor averaged 44.3 on 54 punts. He was excellent early and finished strong.

Long snapper Chris Stoll signed a free-agent contract with Seattle so the Lions are replacing their three key components.

Florida International transfer Riley Thompson, another Australian (like Amor and other punters across the country) and Alex Bacchetta are expected to vie for the punting job.

Lefty Sander Sahaydak is the top candidate to be the placekicker, though Alex Felkins transferred from Columbia and has 34 career FGs and 75 PATs. He should create competition.

8. Aside from Ohio State and Michigan, what are the danger spots of the schedule?

Here are two:

• Sept. 16 at Illinois: Brett Bielema has quickly put his stamp on the Illini program, evidenced by the Lions’ painful nine-OT loss in 2021. The Illini pounded Wisconsin on the road last year and narrowly lost to Michigan in Ann Arbor (19-17) in November.

• Nov. 4 at Maryland: After splitting a pair of one-point games in 2014-15, other than the COVID-19 year, the Lions have had their way in this series. But it is on the road and is very much a trap game with Michigan’s visit looming the next week – especially if the Nits are fortunate enough to arrive at this point in the season unbeaten.

9. Who becomes an NFL starter first, Clifford or Will Levis?

Both quarterbacks ran the gamut of emotions during draft weekend.

Since he was led to believe that he might be a top-five pick, it was brutal to watch Levis endure the entire first night without being selected. Mercifully, Tennessee took him early in the second round.

Clifford, on the other hand, was moved to tears when the Packers called his name, earlier than expected in the fifth round.

Depending on how things work out with Jordan Love,

Clifford could be an option, at least for backup duty, in Green Bay.

He certainly has plenty of experience.

10. Are you surprised the over-under on the season is 9.5 wins?

Regardless of Pollock’s position, absolutely.

Bet at your own risk and while greater things may be expected in 2024 — with Allar having his first full year under his belt and the Singleton-Allen tandem smelling the NFL — this season has 10-plus wins written all over it.

Or should.

For openers, the Lions could go 10-2 and lose to Ohio State and Michigan.

But for them to be 9-3 would mean likely losses to the Buckeyes, Wolverines and somewhere else.

And that, from these binoculars, would be a major disappointment.

My prediction is 11-1 with the Nittany Lions beating either the Buckeyes or Michigan and running the rest of their table.

This should be the year they turn the corner.