Penn State Football: 5 bold predictions for Nittany Lions 2021 season

Bold prediction No. 1: Penn State Football Wins the Big Ten and Reaches the CFP

I know this sounds crazy, especially after the season Penn State Football put together just one year ago. Although, if my first four bold predictions come true, it makes this last one seem much more reasonable.

Penn State has already won the Big Ten Championship in the James Franklin era, as well as been close to reaching (and probably winning) the championship a couple more times. Additionally, they have been on the cusp of the College Football Playoff in a few of those seasons.

This season, Penn State Football will probably have the best offensive line of the Franklin era, along with close to their best group of wide receivers. Also, while not having one true star at positions like running back and tight end like in previous years, they are deeper than they have been at those positions.

Continuing on offense, Penn State could potentially have their best offensive coordinator that they have had so far under James Franklin.

Yes, I know Sean Clifford struggled last season, but he still has a lot of the physical potential, along with a lot of experience, to be very good for this team.

Defensively, this will be the best secondary the Nittany Lions have had under James Franklin. They have probably the most talented linebacker, behind Micah Parsons of course, that they have had in some time. Penn State also might have their best group of defensive tackles since 2015.

To reach the playoff, Penn State Football may not even need to beat Ohio State. An 11-1 record with a close loss, on the road, to an undefeated Ohio State could be enough for Penn State to sneak in at the four seed.

However, this may be a season where Penn State could upset Ohio State, with the Buckeyes having a young quarterback and losing a lot of defensive production from last season. Plus, Ohio State has to play at Indiana the week prior to that matchup, while Penn State gets a home game vs Illinois that week.

Finally, in recent years, Penn State has been closer to knocking off the Buckeyes than some people realize. Last season, in the middle of an awful losing streak in the school’s worst season in nearly two decades, Penn State only lost by two possessions to the team who would go on to reach the National Championship. In 2019, Penn State did all of their scoring within a seven and a half minute window in the third quarter in Columbus, and still only lost by 11 points to one of the top teams in the country.

A lot needs to go right for this to come into fruition, but if it does, this could be an exciting season for Penn State Football.