Penn State football: are the events of 2016 repeatable?

Getting confidence back

Following Penn State’s upset of No. 2 Ohio State in 2016, the Nittany Lions began to play like the national powerhouse they had been in the decades prior. The 2016 team went from 2-2 at the beginning of the season to 11-2 heading into the Rose Bowl game. Once the locker room realized its potential, the team began to run up the score and blow opposing teams out of the water.

This carried into the seasons that followed as well. In 2017 Penn State went 11-2 and saw much of the same. In 2018 the Nittany Lions finished 9-4 but remained nationally respected. And in 2019, Penn State once again carried itself to an 11-2 record (with Sean Clifford at the helm, no less).

However, over the last two seasons, Penn State football is 11-11 overall with an 0-1 post-season record and an 0-2 record against Ohio State. Even with a .500 record and an apparent lack of success, the program is putting loads of talent into the NFL–meaning the talent is on the roster; the team just needs to figure out how to turn it into wins.

Above everything else, Penn State football needs to find its confidence in 2022. If the Nittany Lions remember where they are and who they play for, the program has all the talent for another memorable season. Combine confidence, talent, and good coaching, and Penn State will be a national competitor once again. If not, the Nittany Lions may find themselves around .500 once more.