Predicting 2021 Big Ten season: How many wins for Penn State Football?

dJahan Dotson #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

James Franklin’s Nittany Lions looks to rebound after the program’s first losing season since 2004. There are a lot of question marks surround this Penn State Football team, especially at the quarterback position.

Third year starting quarterback Sean Clifford will need to improve for the Nittany Lions to get back to double digit wins. Luckily for him, he has one of the top wide receivers in all of college football in Jahan Dotson. The offense will also benefit from a stable of talented running backs and an experienced offensive line.

The Lions’ defense will be lead by safety Jaquan Brisker who was a Pro Football Focus first team All-American in 2020. They have a lot of depth at cornerback, but they will need their linebackers to take a step forward this season for the defense to flourish.

Penn State Football faces a tough test Week 1, with a road trip to take on Wisconsin. This will not be an easy game for the Nittany Lions, and fans should be pleased to see them come out on top. There are a number of games that could go either way for Penn State Football, such as Auburn, Indiana, and Iowa.

If Clifford can make strides in the right direction under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, which he has the physical tools to do, expect Penn State to be back into the top 20 nationally.