Will Penn State Football return to College Football Playoff hunt in 2021?
Penn State Football aims to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, but could a brutal early-season schedule derail the Nittany Lions’ 2021 campaign?
James Franklin’s No. 19 ranked Nittany Lions aim to bounce back from Penn State Football’s most disappointing season in decades, and returns a roster capable of pushing for a New Year’s Six bid or more, but faces a daunting schedule to open the 2021 campaign.
Boasting arguably the nation’s deepest running back room and the most talented secondary since Franklin arrived in Happy Valley, Penn State Football has the pieces in place to return to national prominence. However, an opening stretch @ Wisconsin, vs. Ball State, and vs. Auburn could define the season.
So, will Penn State Football make it through its early gauntlet and make a run at Franklin’s second Big Ten Championship? Or, will the Lions struggle out of the chute en-route to another middling season?
Here is how the Victory Bell Rings staff sees the 2021 season playing out for Penn State Football:
Alec Whitaker – Penn State Football recruiting contributor
Season prediction: 10-2
After going 4-5 last season, a double-digit win season in 2021 may seem far fetched for Penn State Football.
The schedule is tough, probably the toughest James Franklin has faced as head coach of the Nittany Lions, but there’s a lot of returning talent for this team.
Getting Jahan Dotson, Rasheed Walker and Jaquan Brisker back, along with key transfers like DE Arnold Ebiketie and OG Eric Wilson helped changed the outlook of this team. This is probably the best offensive line Franklin has had in Happy Valley and the defense really only has one hole with Adisa Isaac lost for the year at defensive end, albeit a big hole.
Penn State Football faces seven preseason top 37 teams, with four of those games at home. With 107,000 back in Beaver Stadium, I like the Lions to beat Ball State, Auburn, Indiana and Michigan. Opening the season at Wisconsin is no easy task and trips to Iowa and Ohio State will be challenges. I like Penn State to win one of those games, likely in Kinnick Stadium, where Penn State has played well lately.
The dynamic between new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and quarterback Sean Clifford will have a big say in how this team fares in 2021.
Many forget we are just two years removed from Clifford leading an 11-2 Penn State squad that won a New Year’s Six bowl, and there’s plenty of talent around him to get Penn State back to that.