Penn State finished the 2022 season with a record of 11-2, taking wins over the Purdue Boilermakers and Minnesota Golden Gophers before moving on to the Rose Bowl in January. Losses to the Michigan Wolverines and Ohio State Buckeyes led to a 2-2 run in the month of October, but a 5-0 run to start its season and a stellar final stretch all but solidified a memorable run in its 2022 campaign.

Penn State would defeat Utah in the Rose Bowl behind the 279 passing yards of quarterback Sean Clifford and 120 rushing yards of running back Nicholas Singleton. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown, now a member of the San Francisco 49ers, finished the outing with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. He picked off a pass from Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes in the third quarter, tracking down a lofted pass to receiver Devaughn Vele as Penn State was up by seven points.

The Nittany Lions hired Marques Hagans to become the team's new wide receivers coach in January. They added starting-level talent and extra depth to their roster with a few transfers during the offseason, including former Kent State wide receiver Dante Cephas and Florida State wideout Malik McClain.

What are some bold predictions for the Penn State Nittany Lions heading into the 2023 season?

4. Drew Allar will have a breakout season

Allar, a former five-star recruit from Medina, Ohio, played in 10 games for the Nittany Lions in 2022. He recorded a total of 344 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, including the 75 yards he earned against the Indiana Hoosiers in November.

Allar will have plenty to prove under center after the departure of quarterback Sean Clifford, who the Green Bay Packers selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. Clifford, a five-year veteran for the Nittany Lions, broke the team's all-time passing yards leader during his final year with Penn State.

If Allar can win the quarterback battle between him and Beau Pribula and live up to the massive expectations placed upon him, the sophomore quarterback could be primed for a breakout season as he takes the starting spot for Penn State in 2023.

3. Abdul Carter will make the All-Big Ten First Team

Carter led Penn State football with 6.5 sacks in 2022. He recorded two sacks when the Nittany Lions took on Michigan State in November, adding on seven tackles and three tackles for loss as Penn State earned a 35-16 victory in Beaver Stadium.

Carter was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the media and to the All-Big Ten Third Team by coaches in 2022. He took a spot behind Wisconsin linebacker Nick Herbig in the media's selections. With the talent returning to Penn State's defense in 2023, Carter will have a good chance of jumping the ranks and earning a First-Team spot on both the coaches and media teams.

2. Penn State's running game vastly improves under running back duo

Singleton led Penn State with 1,061 rushing yards in 2022. Running back Kaytron Allen, a former four-star recruit in Penn State's 2022 class, took second place on the roster with 867 yards. Penn State's offense finished the 2022 season with 181.1 rushing yards per game, putting them in fourth place in the Big Ten, according to BigTen.org.

Minnesota running back Trey Potts committed to the Penn State football program in April. Nittany Lions running back Keyvone Lee transferred to Mississippi State in May. If the duo of Singleton and Allen continue to improve, both backs can lead Penn State's rushing offense to one of the top rushing units in the Big Ten in 2023.

1. Penn State will make the College Football Playoff

Will this year be the year of the Nittany Lion?

Penn State finished with the No. 11 ranking in the final 2022 College Football Playoff rankings. They took spots ahead of Washington and Florida State, but fell behind USC and Kansas State. Penn State will face some of the Big Ten's more formidable foes in Ohio State and Michigan in 2023. It defeated both teams in 2008, when Penn State went 11-2 before falling to USC in that year's Rose Bowl.

If Penn State can take a victory over either one and roll through its 2023 schedule, it can make its case for the College Football Playoff among its more prominent Big Ten rivals.