Although Penn State football has a perfect 6-0 record, not everything is perfect for head coach James Franklin in Happy Valley. Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys, both former Penn State players dismissed by the university in August, are facing felony charges filed in Centre County, Pennsylvania, per Tyler Donohue of Lions 247. According to court documents, they were charged with felony rape, aggravated indecent assault and sexual assault.

The incident charges are dated to a July 7 incident. A statement from a Penn State football spokesperson from July 31 confirmed then that neither player was with the program when preseason camp opened. Both players were placed on an interim suspension. On August 3, Penn State confirmed that both players were not on the football roster or enrolled at the university.

Both players were expected to contribute heavily to the 2024 team. Jameial Lyons was receiving a lot of hype as a potential future first-round pick and looked like a starter in his second season. Keys was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked as the No. 6 player in Virginia and in the top-200 overall.

Unfortunately, every college football program faces some controversy. Rosters can now have 105 players on a full scholarship. Tens of thousands of young athletes represent their universities nationwide, making these unfortunate and tragic situations a reality for every school.

Is No. 3 Penn State football for real?

Three teams in the Big Ten boast a perfect record: Penn State (6-0), Indiana (7-0) and Oregon (7-0). The Nittany Lions have only faced one ranked team, the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini. With upcoming games against Wisconsin, Ohio State and Washington, their perfect record may not last long. Indiana has also not played a ranked team yet this season.

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In this new College Football Playoff era, where 12 teams will enter the tournament, the risk-reward of a difficult regular season schedule is losing its meaning. With millions of dollars at stake for each team that plays in the CFP and more money awarded for advancing to the next round, schools are rewarded for an easy schedule.

Penn State is enjoying the big contributions from their tight end Tyler Warren, most recently during his huge performance against the USC Trojans. Warren caught 17 passes (tied an FBS record for tight ends) for 224 yards and a touchdown.

The Nittany Lions defense has been stellar this season. They allow just 14.5 points per game, which is ninth-best in FBS. Penn State football's 262.5 yards allowed per game is sixth-best.