Penn State Football: four things I want to see against Northwestern

Sep 24, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin gestures from the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Central Michigan 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 10: Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a play against the Ohio Bobcats during the second half at Beaver Stadium on September 10, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Creativity and aggression

Against Central Michigan, Penn State seemed as if they kept things a little vanilla and they did not get too creative or aggressive–primarily because they didn’t have to.

However this week against Northwestern, I would like to see a little more creativity and aggression on both sides of the ball. Now, I wouldn’t expect them to totally open their playbook and show their hand if they don’t have to–especially with the three-game gauntlet they have following the bye week–but I would still like to see a little more than we did this past week.

Pat Fitzgerald is a fantastic coach, and his teams are always well prepared. So, if the Nittany Lions roll out a basic, predictable, and easy-to-counter gameplan, the Wildcats could make things interesting.

They need to stay aggressive and put this one away.

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