Penn State Football: 5 bold predictions for the 2017 season

Penn State football enters the new year as defending Big Ten champions. Here are five bold predictions for Nittany Lions’ 2017 season.

Penn State blew the rails off its expectations in 2016. After three straight seven-win seasons, the Nittany Lions surprised the nation by winning the Big Ten championship. But James Franklin‘s team was frozen out of the College Football Playoff thanks to two regular-season losses. Instead, the Nittany Lions were sent to Pasadena to take on USC in the Rose Bowl.

Had they lost only to Ohio State, it might have fared better for Penn State’s chances of reaching the Playoff. Instead, the Nittany Lions beat Ohio State but lost to Michigan and Pittsburgh. As a result, the Buckeyes got the nod after an 11-1 season. Urban Meyer’s crew lost their division but won the bigger prize.

The showdown with the Trojans was a back-and-forth affair. Southern California took a two-score lead in the first quarter. Penn State charged back in the middle frames, and the lead had shifted into a two-touchdown advantage for the Nittany Lions by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Then Sam Darnold positioned himself as a 2017 Heisman contender by leading USC to 17 straight points and a 52-49 comeback victory.

Penn State’s year ended with an 11-3 record, their losses coming to teams that finished the year ranked third, 10th, and unranked. How will their attempt at a repeat end? Here are five bold predictions for the upcoming Nittany Lions’ season.