Penn State Football: 5 fixes to make before 2019 season

Penn State football stumbled to a 9-4 season, capped by a bowl loss to Kentucky. What changes are needed to make 2019 a better year?

The 2018 season started with high expectations for Penn State, at least from the fan base. The season ended with a thud as Kentucky beat the Lions in the Citrus Bowl.

In hindsight, the expectations were probably set too high for Penn State this season. The Lions lost a ton of production from 2017 plus four assistant coaches left for jobs elsewhere. The turnover proved to be too much to overcome. Needing overtime to dispose of Appalachian State in the season opener should have been a clue of the struggles to come.

Ultimately though, the Lions played a lot of underclassman this past season and those players gained valuable experience. In particular,  freshmen KJ Hamler and Micah Parsons look like future stars. A year in the offseason training program will only benefit both along with the other returning players.

The Lions took a small step back in 2018, but they are still on track for their ultimate goal of making the College Football Playoff. What needs to be done for them to achieve their goal? Here are the five fixes Penn State needs to make for the 2019 season.