Penn State walked out of Beaver Stadium on Saturday night reeling from yet another high-profile defeat. Quarterback Drew Allar’s interception in double overtime sealed a 30-24 loss to Oregon, and the weight of his struggles was evident in his postgame words.
“We had our opportunities… but I’ll be the first one to go into the fire,” Allar said. It was a promise to take ownership, yet the bigger question remains: is he capable of carrying the Nittany Lions when the spotlight burns brightest?
As The Athletic noted, Allar is becoming one of college football’s great puzzles. At 6-foot-5 with a rocket arm and flashes of touch, he can deliver highlight throws that remind you why he was once billed as a program savior.
Against Oregon, he even dropped a picture-perfect deep ball for a score. But too often, the good is overshadowed by hesitation and robotic decision-making.
Rival coaches wonder if he overanalyzes every snap, and NFL scouts have privately voiced concerns that his yards-per-attempt, just 6.4 this season, shows a passer unwilling or unable to cut loose.
According to The New York Times, one scouting director summed it up bluntly:
“He’s got tools, but I’m not fired up about him.” That sentiment reflects a larger issue: the Penn State offense feels harder than it should be with a veteran quarterback at the helm.
Allar’s touchdown-to-interception ratio remains respectable (30-to-10 across his last 20 games), but efficiency and rhythm have been elusive.
Head coach James Franklin, meanwhile, is once again under the microscope. Saturday’s defeat dropped him to 4-21 against AP Top 10 teams in his Penn State tenure, a statistic that only fuels critics calling for change.
Franklin himself admitted, “We’ve got to find a way to win those games.” The loss also complicates Penn State’s path to the College Football Playoff, especially with a weak non-conference slate offering little margin for error.
Franklin has warned against letting negativity linger. “One loss can turn into two,” he explained, urging his team and fan base not to spiral after heartbreak.
Yet the reality is that both he and his quarterback must prove they can deliver in marquee moments, or the familiar narrative of Penn State coming up short will only harden.
For now, the Nittany Lions turn the page to UCLA, hoping Allar can quiet the noise with performance rather than promises.
