Penn State Football: Best, worst, and most likely scenarios for 2021

Most likely scenario

Sean Clifford returns to his 2019 form and under Mike Yurcich, the offense improves. The defense looks unsteady early because of the inexperience along the defensive front but improves as the season goes on. This is the most likely scenario for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State starts off with a close loss in Madison but instead of letting the loss drag them down, they use it as fuel. They come back home and put up a lot of points on Ball State, Auburn, and poor Villanova.

Indiana visits in early October and Penn State is ready for revenge. They leave no doubts this time and beat the Hoosiers by three scores. Next comes a letdown on the road against Iowa, but like Wisconsin, it is another close one.

After the bye, Penn State returns home to kick Illinois to the curb. In Columbus the following week, the Nittany Lions hang around for awhile until the Buckeyes pull away in the fourth quarter.

In the final month of the regular season, the Nittany Lions avenge their loss to the Terps from a year ago. They beat Michigan by a couple of touchdowns, followed by blowout victories over Rutgers and Michigan State.

While no Big Ten title is in the cards, the Nittany Lions did improve by five wins from the 2020 campaign. They end up in sunny Florida for either the Citrus or Outback Bowls. With a victory over their second SEC opponent of the year, they secure their fourth double-digit winning season in six years.

The season is enough to secure a top-five recruiting class in 2022 and the Nittany Lions springboard into the following season with championship aspirations.

Most likely: 9-3, 6-3 Big Ten