Arkansas Football: 3 reasons to watch Outback Bowl vs. Penn State
By Shane Lunnen
2. Dress rehearsal for 2022
When the Outback Bowl matchup was announced, Penn State opened a slight betting favorite over Arkansas. The line has changed to favor Arkansas recently, most likely due to the string of players opting out for Penn State.
The Nittany Lions have six players sitting out the bowl and preparing for the NFL Draft. Their best offensive player Jahan Dotson will not be playing. The offense without Dotson is not ideal, however, the absences will really be felt on the defensive side with the remaining five players coming from that side of the ball.
The opt-outs include disruptive defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks, and lockdown safety Jaquan Brisker. Those guys alone represent a ton of defensive production for the Lions this season. Defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo is the other opt-out and he was a key contributor along the Lions defensive front.
One cannot blame players looking out for their future. It is solely their decision and in a sport that increasingly has put emphasis on the College Football Playoff, it is no surprise players are choosing not to play in other bowl games.
This is the first time Penn State has had to deal with this amount of opt-outs for a bowl so it is uncharted territory for coach James Franklin. The team will need to burn some redshirts due to the opt-outs and having to play freshmen in the Rutgers game due to the flu outbreak the team faced.
While the opt-outs may be too much for the Nittany Lions to overcome with the lost production, it has created opportunities for many younger players. Penn State fans should look at this game not as the end of the 2021 season but as a real first look at the 2022 Nittany Lion squad.
The players stepping in will get significant reps against a tough SEC opponent. It will be a challenge but should be a great experience as the Nittany Lions try to bounce back next season from a year that began with promise but ultimately fizzled in the end.