Penn State Nittany Lions News: New AP Poll, injury updates for Week 2, and more

Week 2 for Penn State football is here and from press conferences earlier this week, it's clear the Nittany Lions are ready to tackle Temple head-on.

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn is especially prepared for how the Owls can turn up the heat. As a player from 2008-11, Lynn played Temple four times. Though Penn State won all of those games, they weren't always a walk in the park.

In 2010, the Owls held a lead for over half the game. The Nittany Lions surged in the second half to beat them 22-13, but Temple came back the next year hoping to avenge itself. It almost did, too. For nearly the entire contest, the Owls held the lead in the 2011 matchup. Penn State barely made it out alive, securing a 14-10 win with a late, fourth quarter touchdown with less than three minutes remaining in the game.

We're quite a few years removed from those teams, but Lynn isn't underestimating the power Temple can foster, especially on its home field.

Penn State bumps up the AP Top 25 Poll after shutout vs. Marshall

The Nittany Lions are now the No. 16 team in the country after a dominant performance against Marshall in Week 1. Penn State beat the Thundering Herd 45-0 on Saturday to open the season, which showcased a lot of unseen talent from returning players and transfers.

Helping the Nittany Lions out a lot was Michigan falling out of the Top 25 completely. The Wolverines barely won their game vs. Western Michigan, and the win may not even stand as the Broncos submitted an appeal. Whether the victory remains or not, Michigan got exposed.

Saturday will be a test to see whether the Wolverines are truly a Top 25 team and Week 1 was just a blip or if they were overhyped heading into the season. Michigan takes on Oklahoma at home. For Penn State fans, it might be a split-screen scenario on Saturday.

One Nittany Lion takes a backseat while another returns to lineup

Tight end Gabe Burkle has been recovering over this offseason and camp, but his time has come to get back out on the field. Burkle is expected to play on Saturday at Temple, according to head coach Matt Campbell in his weekly press conference.

This will be huge for Penn State as that tight end room is loaded with talent and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser can do a lot with those pieces. It won't be easy separating himself from Benjamin Brahmer and Andrew Rappleyea, who had great performances in Week 1, but switching around and trying out different personnel groupings could be the direction the Nittany Lions go in order to capitalize on the talent in that room.

Burkle must prove he's as impactful as those other two tight ends, which isn't a difficult task with 11 games left on the schedule. In other position rooms, though, snaps in the non-conference slate are essential. At defensive end, LaVar Arrington II might miss his window to show his importance on this team.

Campbell also shared that Arrington, who got knee surgery, has a recovery timeline of about four to six weeks. That's a long time for an unproven edge rusher who made the position switch from linebacker this offseason. Down the stretch in Big Ten play, Campbell might throw him in there, but it won't be meaningful snaps regardless of how he seizes those opportunities.

More: Competition goes hand-in-hand with unity in Happy Valley

There's a different vibe at Penn State with Campbell in charge, and the players are reflecting that.

Under former head coach James Franklin, there was tense, high-strung energy surrounding that 2025 team as expectations to win a national title loomed. A year later, the Nittany Lions are having a whole lot of fun out on that field together.

The standard and competition is still there. There's no relaxation, but it's not dividing the team, as reported by Nate Bauer of Blue White Illustrated. Rather than tension between teammates and coaches, there's unity in competition.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow