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Penn State Football: Nittany Lions should be favorite to win Big Ten again

By Andrew Miller

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 05: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is congratulated after his touchdown run by Trace McSorley #9 and Irvin Charles #11 during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 5, 2016 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Iowa 41-14. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 05: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is congratulated after his touchdown run by Trace McSorley #9 and Irvin Charles #11 during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 5, 2016 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Iowa 41-14. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Penn State Football is heading in the right direction under head coach James Franklin with the potential to win another conference championship.

No one expected Penn State to do what they did in 2016. Quarterback Trace McSorley was an unknown in the shadow of Christian Hackenberg‘s disappointing career. Running back Saquon Barkley was known to have talent but no one expected him to become one of the best, if not the best running back in the country. Behind Barkley and McSorley, the Nittany Lions made quite the run to remember in 2016, on their way to a Big Ten Title.

The Big Ten should not be as tough as it was in 2016. Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan all posed threats as top 10 teams last year. This year, Michigan should not be quite as good. Wisconsin and Ohio State are expected to be much the same as they were in 2016. The The only team with elevated expectations across the board is Penn State.

That bodes well for a team that has returning starters at every skill position on offense. Moreover, senior linebacker Jason Cabinda and senior safety Marcus Allen return to lead what should be one of the better and more experienced defenses in the Big Ten. Senior defensive tackles Curtis Cothran and Parker Cothran will lead an experienced defensive front that will be anchored from the tackle spot.

How does the schedule set up?

Each of the first six games of the season are very manageable for Penn State. They face easy opponents like Akron and Georgia State out of conference. Even the hardest team, Pitt, is one that Penn State should be able to take care of. They will be challenged in two of the first three Big Ten games. But even in those two games (against Northwestern and Iowa, both on the road) the Nittany Lions should be favored.

More: 5 most important non-conference games for Big Ten teams

The seventh and eighth games of the season are when it becomes gut check time for Penn State. Michigan comes to town on October 21 and Penn State travels to Columbus to face Ohio State on October 28. That’s two incredibly tough, season defining, games in back-to-back weeks. However, if Penn State can take care of one or both of those games they’re putting themselves in great position for a return to the Big Ten Title Game. Most importantly for Penn State, they do not have to face Wisconsin and they get Michigan at home. The schedule could have been a lot tougher.

Under the direction of McSorley, Barkley, and receivers DaeSean Hamilton, Saeed Blacknall, and DeAndre Thompkins, the Penn State offense looks like it’s set to make another run at the Big Ten Championship and potentially the College Football Playoff. Take away that close loss to Pitt last season and Penn State likely would have been one of the four teams selected for the Playoff instead of Ohio State, which was a controversial decision anyway.

Next: 5 surprise conference title contenders in 2017

There’s no doubt that Penn State is one of the favorites to take home the Big Ten crown in 2017. Yet, they should be the outright favorite over Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin to win the title this year. It’s going to be a wild season, and the Nittany Lions are starting at the front of the pack.

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