It’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Penn State football fans. The Nittany Lions have a good amount of hype coming into the 2024 season as they have their sights set on the College Football Playoff now that it is expanded to 12 teams.
We're almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over as the calendar now reads August, and the first games will begin on the 24th. College football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but this offseason was a bit easier than others because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July.
First off, there are going to be some rules changes this year in college football, and some fans aren’t going to like them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning, like in the NFL. If you are like most college football fans, you're getting sick of the amount of commercials that we see during games. Well, the two-minute warning is just another way for TV Networks to pack another break into the action.
There are more changes, however, and these are ones that more fans in favor of, but some still don't like them. College football is going to look completely different next year because of expansion to the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things look a lot different. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West, but they aren't actually in the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams, and some think that things could be heading in the direction of two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff instead of just four. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Is Penn State a College Football Playoff team?
James Franklin has done a good job as the head coach of the Penn State football team, but the last eight years have been filled with near misses. The Nittany Lions took a huge step forward in 2016 when they won the Big Ten championship, but after two losses early in the season, the Nittany Lions still weren't able to get in to the College Football Playoff. Ever since then, the Nittany Lions have been very good, but not as good as Michigan and Ohio State.
In the four team College Football Playoff era, it was very difficult to make the CFP if you weren't the best team in your conference. The Nittany Lions were never the best team in their conference. Even in 2016 when they won the conference, Ohio State made the CFP over them and they lost to Michigan by 39 points. They were the third best team in the conference.
It doesn't feel like it was that long ago, but it has been almost 10 years since James Franklin and Penn State football won the Big Ten. They will once again have the talent to compete this season, but there are also more title contenders to deal with in the Big Ten.
The expectation for this Penn State football team is to make the College Football Playoff. If the playoff had always been 12 teams, the Nittany Lions would have multiple appearances under their belt. Last year is an example of a season that they would've qualified. This year's team is expected to be on a similar level to last year's, so it would be disappointing if the Nittany Lions don't make it.
Penn State certainly has the talent to make the playoff this year, but there was something that held them back in big games last year that could end up hurting them again this season. Here is the one thing that could hold the Nittany Lions back from achieving their CFP goal:
Drew Allar
There is a chance that Drew Allar took some big offseason strides and is ready to have a big season, but until that is seen, his play in big games remains a concern.
Drew Allar has looked like one of the tops QBs in the Big Ten at times, but that is when he is playing lesser opponents. A lot of people are expecting him to be one of the best QBs in the Big Ten this season, but not enough people are talking about the way he played against Michigan and Ohio State last year, and that has to be a concern.
In the 2023 season, Drew Allar finished the year 214-349 through the air for 2,336 yards, 25 touchdowns and two interceptions. Not a lot of passing yards, but those are good numbers, and he didn't put the ball in harms way. However, against Ohio State, Allar was 18-42 for 191 yards and one touchdown. Against Michigan he was 10-22 for 70 yards, one touchdown and he lost a fumble. That's just not going to cut it in the biggest games of the year, and ultimately, that's a big reason why Penn State lost those games and didn't make the playoff last year.
So, a lot of people look at Drew Allar's 2023 season and they think he's going to have a great 2024 year. His overall numbers will probably look good, but if he doesn't show up for the big games this year, the Nittany Lions might be watching the CFP from home yet again.
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