Penn State Football: 3 post-game overreactions vs Ohio State

1. Penn State can win out

Penn State’s season as far as their goals of a Big Ten championship and making the College Football Playoff are over. That does not mean the season is over. They have a chance to close out the year on a high note.

The Nittany Lions rose as high as No. 4 in the polls before this three-game losing skid. The whole season seemed to change on Sean Clifford getting hurt against Iowa. He looked like he could barely move against Illinois last week but against Ohio State, he appeared healthy. He threw the ball better and used his legs a couple of times to extend drives.

Of course, the remaining four games all depend on the health of Clifford. If he stays in games, the Nittany Lions should be competitive in all of them.

The remaining games include a road trip to Maryland next week and a home game against Rutgers. A healthy Clifford should be able to beat those teams, especially if the defense continues to play as well as it has been.

In between the Terps and Scarlet Knights is a home date with Michigan. It will be a tough game but being home will help plus the Nittany Lions have won three of the last four matchups against the Wolverines.

Penn State finishes the season on the road against Michigan State. This seems to be the toughest of the final four games, with the Spartans the last undefeated team in the Big Ten. If Penn State plays the way they did against the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions will have a chance. They just need to capitalize when they have their opportunities.

While the season goals are now in the rearview mirror, there is still plenty to play for. A nine-win season after only winning four games a year ago would be considered a success. While a New Year’s Six game may not be in the cards, a trip to Orlando (Citrus) or Tampa (Outback) should be considered a decent consolation prize.