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Penn State football is going to be a problem for Big Ten in 2023

By Christopher Mangum

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 29: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium on October 29, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 29: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium on October 29, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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After a rough start to the decade, Penn State football got back to its usual self in 2022. The Nittany Lions bounced back from their 7-6 season with a 10-2 campaign in what was supposed to be a “down year” — one filled with freshman debuts and minimal expectations — Penn State is now headed to the Rose Bowl game on January 2nd.

Since the sanctions on Penn State football dropped in 2016, the Nittany Lions have been one of the top competitors in the sport. The Nittany Lions are consistently a top-10 team, playing in New Year’s Six games, and are one of three teams to win the Big Ten since 2016.

I am not saying Penn State is a Playoff team or the best program in the Big Ten, but to say 2021 was the standard would be foolish. PSU had a rough year in 2020, finishing the year 4-5 and turning down any bowl invites the program received.

The season after, Penn State football got off to a hot start. The Nittany Lions opened the year with an impressive 16-10 win over Wisconsin, followed it up with a 28-20 win over Auburn, and started 5-0 overall.

After taking a significant lead over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, Penn State saw a series of costly injuries, including starting quarterback Sean Clifford and defensive captain PJ Mustipher. Iowa eventually made a comeback and outlasted the Nittany Lions, which marked the beginning of the end for Penn State in 2021.

Despite starting the 2021 season 5-0 and making it into the top four, Penn State finished the year 2-6 in its final eight games. Penn State lost close games to Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State — all of which were top-10 teams. Who knows what could have happened if a few bounces had gone the Lions’ way.

The 11-11 start to the 2020s surrounded the Penn State football program with an inaccurate stigma that made it seem as if the Nittany Lions were a perennial 7-win team.

People seemed to forget what James Franklin started with when he was first hired; the sanctions, no talent, etc., and acted as if Penn State had been lucky from 2016-2019. However, this could not be further from the truth.

No one accidentally has three 11-win seasons in four years, win multiple New Year’s Six Bowls, win the Big Ten, and more after inheriting all of Penn State’s issues in 2014.

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