Questions abound as season is set to begin
After seven months of uncertainty over the pandemic, after its spring practice was canceled, after its schedule was revised twice, Penn State is poised to begin its truncated 2020 football season Saturday at Indiana.
The Nittany Lions will do so without All-America linebacker Micah Parsons, who opted out, but with 12 returning starters, four new assistant coaches and high hopes.
Coach James Franklin arguably has his most talented and deepest team for his seventh season at Penn State. Ohio State, of course, stands in the Lions’ way of winning the Big Ten East title and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Here are 10 Nittany Lions questions that will be answered over the next nine weeks:
1.CanPennStatekeep safe from the coronavirus and what would it take for a game to be canceled?
The positive cases among Penn State athletes have been at a minimum over the last month, including just three among 1,302 tests from Oct. 3-9. We don’t know if any football players have tested positive since their return to campus because the university doesn’t release that information. Odds are that some have had it or will have it, but there hasn’t been the kind of outbreak that has forced the postponement or cancellation of 30 Football Bowl Subdivision games, including LSU at Florida this week.
The Big Ten has the strongest coronavirus policy among the major conferences. If a player tests positive, he can’t play in a game for at least 21 days. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the Big Ten, which initially postponed the season before resuming it after the evolution and availability of daily antigen testing.
2. How will playing home games at empty Beaver Stadium affect Penn State’s performance?
Beaver Stadium has long been considered one of the most difficult venues for a road team in college football. That’s especially true for the annual White Out Game at night. Presumably, that would have been Oct. 31 against Ohio State this year. Without the support of a sellout crowd of 110,000-plus that night, the Lions certainly will be impacted.
At last year’s White Out Game, Michigan was forced to call a timeout in the first quarter because of the crowd noise. Even at the other home games against Maryland (Nov. 7), Iowa (Nov. 21) and Michigan State (Dec. 12), the visiting teams will have an easier time without a Penn State crowd. But that works in the Lions’ favor on trips, especially at Nebraska and Michigan.
3. Who’s the most difficult player to replace from last year’s Penn State team?
It’s a no-brainer. Parsons capped his brief and brilliant college career with a magnificent performance last year in the Cotton Bowl against Memphis. His combination of speed and power enabled him to lead the Lions in tackles the last two seasons. He had a knack for stepping up in Penn State’s biggest games. Replacing him will be difficult, but not impossible. The Lions are deep at linebacker, where they have veterans Jesse Luketa and Ellis Brooks and emerging star Brandon Smith. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, a rookie with the Carolina Panthers, was a loss, but Jayson Oweh and Adisa Isaac have promise.
4. Who are the leading candidates to have breakout years?
Start with Smith, who’s physical and fast. An outside linebacker, he made several punishing hits last year as a freshman. Elsewhere on defense, keep an eye on Oweh, Isaac and sophomore cornerbacks Keaton Ellis and Marquis Wilson. Although they’re competing to replace John Reid in the lineup, they’re both going to have primary roles. Each of them forced three fumbles, and Wilson came up with an often-forgotten but important interception in the fourth quarter inside the Penn State five-yard line in the Cotton Bowl. On offense, don’t sleep on wide receiver Daniel George, who made two key catches in the fourth quarter against Memphis.
5. Which redshirt and truefreshmenwillmake the greatest impact?
Expect T.J. Jones and KeAndre Lambert-Smith to see extended time at wide receiver. Jones played high school ball in Florida, and Lambert-Smith in Virginia, where he was a consensus four-star prospect. Even though the Lions are deep at running back, Caziah Holmes, a four-star prospect from Florida, has opened many eyes. On defense, watch cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and linebackers Lance Dixon and Curtis Jacobs. The 6-2 Porter, son of the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, has long arms that could cause problems for receivers.
6. Which position is the biggest question mark?
Penn State is looking for guys to complement Jahan Dotson, the only wide receiver with more than 12 career receptions. George and Cam Sullivan-Brown, who’s coming back from an injury, are experienced but unproven. That’s why Jones, Lambert-Smith and Parker Washington, a true freshman, are in the mix. Minnesota wide receivers thrived last season under offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who’s now at Penn State. The secondary also has to limit long passes after allowing 47 completions of at least 20 yards last year.
7. Which position will be the most pleasant surprise?
The offensive line has four returning starters, including former Exeter star Michal Menet at center, plus another veteran as the fifth starter. Yet Big Ten observers don’t expect the Lions to have one of the best offensive lines in the conference. Phil Trautwein, who replaced Matt Limegrover as the position coach, has been embraced by Menet and the oth
ers. He’s teaching them the technique he used at Boston College to develop five allconference picks last season. These guys have a chance to be Penn State’s best offensive line since the 2008 Big Ten championship season.
8.HowwillPennState adjusttofournewassistant coaches?
Ciarrocca and Trautwein are joined on offense by wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield, the former Purdue All-American. The hiring of Ciarrocca, a York County native, was important after Ricky Rahne left to become head coach at Old Dominion. With Ciarrocca at Minnesota last year, the Golden Gophers led the Big Ten in passing and averaged more than 34 points a game. Those three hires might be considered upgrades if the offense produces as expected. On defense, John Scott Jr. replaces valuable line coach Sean Spencer, who joined the New York Giants staff. Scott played for and coached with Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry at other schools. He has big shoes to fill because Spencer developed several terrific linemen.
9.Who’llbetheteam’s most valuable player now that Parsons is not playing?
Quarterback Sean Clifford is the odds-on choice. Entering his second season as the starter, Clifford quickly made a connection with Ciarrocca, who helped make Tanner Morgan a star quarterback at Minnesota. Clifford got off to a great start last season before an undisclosed injury hampered him over the second half of the year. He and Ciarrocca expect Clifford to be a more accurate passer with tweaks in his mechanics. He’s a strong leader who’s well-respected by his teammates and coaches.
10. What will Penn State’s record be and where will it go bowling?
The Nittany Lions are closing the gap on Big Ten behemoth Ohio State, but they’re not there yet. They can beat the Buckeyes on Oct. 31 at Beaver Stadium, but it would take a near-perfect game to avoid their eighth loss in the last nine meetings. Penn State also has lost three straight games at Michigan since their last win in Ann Arbor in 2009. Let’s go with a 7-1 record and a second-place finish in the Big Ten East before a championship week pairing against a Big Ten West team. Look for another New Year’s Six bowl berth in the Fiesta, Orange or Peach.