This isn’t the NFL … Penn State Football still has plenty to play for

Following 3 consecutive losses, Penn State Football’s conference championship and College Football Playoff hopes are down the drain, but they still have a lot to play for.

No, this isn’t about moral victories or to say that if Penn State Football finishes strong by winning out and winning a bowl game that somehow that would constitute a successful 2021 campaign. Though, it would be nice.

However, the Nittany Lions‘ success throughout the remainder of this season can indirectly translate into success in the future.

Unlike in the NFL, when any chance of a championship is down the drain, it is almost better to lose as many games as possible (or tank) to receive a better draft pick. In college football, the more success you have on the field, the more success you will have recruiting. And, ironically, it works the other way around too.

And before you say “It doesn’t matter because James Franklin will be at USC next year anyway so all the recruits will de-commit”, until that becomes official (IF it even does), we will discuss this program under the assumption that Franklin will be the coach again next season.

These are the 5 primary reasons that Penn State Football still has a lot riding on this final stretch of the 2021 season.

Penn State Football Recruiting

Franklin currently has what would be his best-ever recruiting class in the on-deck circle, and being able to keep that together until the finish line on National Signing Day on December 15th is very important.

That (potentially) program-changing 2022 recruiting class is currently ranked third nationally, and first in the Big Ten.

The 2022 class is led by five-star and top rated quarterback in the class, Drew Allar from the state of Ohio. The class also features the top-rated running back in the glass, an in-state commit from Reading, Nicholas Singleton … which should be welcomed with open arms by fans given the current running game situation.

Other top commits include Dani Dennis-Sutton, a defensive lineman (another position of need), wide receiver Kaden Saunders who is also from Ohio and is a top five wideout in the class, and offensive tackle Drew Shelton from Downingtown, PA…Shelton would be one of the top rated offensive linemen to sign with Penn State Football under James Franklin.

Speaking of the offensive line, over the summer, Franklin picked up an early commit from the top rated offensive lineman in the class of 2023, 5-star Alex Birchmeier.

So, part of the theme here is a lot of positions of need.

Quarterback, running back, offensive line, and defensive line. This means that being able to retain these players is vital for the program’s future.

It is also important to put a good product on the field down the stretch to attract potential transfers, as well as high school underclassmen who could potentially be interested in Penn State in the near future.

Winning as many games as possible down the stretch will help keep these players on board, as well as attract new ones, especially with all the remaining games against Big Ten East foes who recruit many of the same regions as the Nittany Lions.