A close 30-24 loss to previously sixth-ranked Oregon has dropped the Penn State football program to seventh in the AP Top 25 poll. Once again, the Penn State football team has failed to win the big game. It's been a recurring theme for the Nittany Lions since the retirement of long-time head coach Joe Paterno. Yet, head coach James Franklin will surely have his program ready for a trip out west to UCLA on Saturday. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar spoke with CBS Sports' Jenny Dell about his game week preparation, including the use of virtual reality.
“It really helps me [with] just repetition because there's only so many full-speed reps that you get throughout the week. … I still watch a ton of film,” Allar said to Dell on Friday. “You can watch all the film you want, but you can't really get the same out of it because you're not watching it in first-person view, like you don't really see it how you see it in the game behind the O-line and that sort of thing.
The extra reps should only help Allar, as the Penn State football team is looking to get back on track with a win over the Bruins on Saturday. The rest of the Nittany Lions' schedule favors them, outside of a two-game slate against Ohio State and Indiana starting in a couple of weeks. If Allar can lead the Penn State football program to a win in at least one of those matchups, a loss in the other won't sting as much. Especially if the Nittany Lions win their other Big Ten games. Can the Penn State football team once again clinch another spot in the College Football Playoff?
Penn State football looks to rebound from tough Oregon loss
A 10-2 record, with losses to Oregon and either Ohio State or Indiana, would likely get the Penn State football team into the CFP for a second straight season. If the Nittany Lions can go on a run to the National Championship Game, it certainly would help with both Franklin and the program's perception.
However, imagine if Franklin and Allar lead the Penn State football program to a national title. The Nittany Lions have not won a national title since 1986 under Paterno. It's one of two national championships in the school's history. They've come close a few times since then but never succeeded. Can Allar use these extra reps to become an even more dangerous signal caller?
