Penn State Football: Projecting the ceiling and floor for the 2022 season

The ceiling for the 2022 Penn State Football Season

Prediction: 10-2

That’s right, your eyes are not deceiving you.

In a completely hypothetical scenario where there are zero consequences for getting anything wrong, my heart and brain could only come up with 10-2 as the best possible case scenario.

Which would certainly not include a trip to their first-ever College Football Playoff.

Thanks again, CFP committee for not expanding the playoffs!

Maybe this is a cold, hard slap in the face of reality for a lot of Penn State Football “fans”. Because even if the stars align I simply do not see them winning more than 10 games in the regular season.

But, what I can see are some bright spots beginning to form on the field.

As mentioned previously, the offensive line is going to potentially start a new player at every position. A lineup of Olumuyiwa Fashanu (LT), Sal Wormley (RG), Juice Scruggs (C), Caedan Wallace (RG), and Landon Tengwall (RT) could be promising.

Put it this way; they can’t be worse than last year.

And what if Drew Allar is the real deal? I’ll say this, for as loyal as Franklin is, even he won’t start a returning multi-year starter (Clifford) if Allar is superior.

Or, what if the worst-case scenario is that Clifford is healthy and plays the entire season?

Assuming the offensive line is an upgrade then I can see Lee and Singleton chewing up chunks of yards on the ground and Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauling in a ton of catches.

Prior to his injury last season, Clifford was having the best year of his career.

Turning our attention now to the defensive group. Penn State Football is currently hot on the heels of several defensive end players in the portal. What if they can snag one of them and they help bolster the defensive line? With P.J. Mustipher back in the blue and white, all the Nittany Lions need is a play maker on the edge to cause chaos upfront and the d line could be decent.

As for the linebacker unit? How does the saying go about putting lipstick on a pig?

In any case, the linebackers are going to most likely struggle even if Curtis Jacobs takes a massive leap forward.

However, the secondary is in a much better position to soften the blow of Jaqunn Brisker heading for the NFL. Between Daequan Hardy, Keaton Ellis, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Joey Porter Jr. there’s plenty to like there.

Now if we throw all of this together into a giant vat of prediction stew and stir it around, I can see double-digit wins and some excitement back in the Nittany Lion fanbase.

And, while the ceiling isn’t quite as high as some people would like it to be, if James Franklin can conjure up some magic next year and pull Penn State out of the dregs of mediocrity, then the future is going to be even brighter as the recruiting picks up and more talent comes to Happy Valley.