Way Too early B1G Football power rankings: Where does Penn State Football stand?
By Andrew Adair
![INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: James Franklin, head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, celebrates with the Big Ten Championship trophy after Penn State beat the Wisconsin Badgers 38-31 at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 03: James Franklin, head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, celebrates with the Big Ten Championship trophy after Penn State beat the Wisconsin Badgers 38-31 at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c000aa0ebe7e8c5fa4ab1b80c514fa2aeaccd8c6bcce046ee86a6c6eb2951269.jpg)
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Penn State Nittany Lions. . 6. . 806
2021 Record: 7-6 (4-5)
Penn State is coming off of back-to-back disappointing seasons.
The season started by winning their first five games and climbing to #4 in the country.
The Nittany Lions finished the season with six losses in their last eight games. One of those was the nine overtime loss to Illinois, which has to rank as the worst game in recent history.
Penn State Football featured a dominant defense last season.
The bad news is that most of those players are now entering the NFL Draft. Sean Clifford is returning under the same offensive coordinator for the first time.
Penn State Football may be in a lame-duck year.
James Franklin just brought in the sixth-ranked recruiting class. The majority of those players won’t be ready to heavily contribute this season.
This roster has more questions than answers. Will the offensive line finally improve? Will Penn State Football be able to run the ball effectively? Can Penn State Football replace six starters on defense?
With so many questions, it’s hard to see this team competing for a championship.