Matt Millen Scouts Penn State's Postseason Chances

The Big Ten Network analyst loves the Nittany Lions' running backs and offensive line. Could they be a title contender?

Matt Millen is pictured prior to a Penn State football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona | After a quick interview with Penn State coach James Franklin on Big Ten Network's Fiesta Bowl media day coverage Sunday, Matt Millen craned his neck looking for a particular Nittany Lion. "Where's Nick Dawkins?" Millen asked before seeing him across the room. Guys from the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania stick together.

So after a hug and quick chat with Penn State's center (who went to Parkland High School, Millen's Whitehall rival), the BTN analyst explained why this might be the Nittany Lions' best offensive line in a decade.

"I think it's Dawkins," Millen, a former Nittany Lions himself, said with a smile. "No, I'm being a little facetious. But part of it is because that center is the brain of everything. So what he calls out, how they're running and how they're attacking, makes a big difference."

Millen, in Arizona for BTN's coverage of the Fiesta Bowl, has seen a new version of Penn State this year, one that impresses him with its physical play up front and its creative play on offense. Asked whether Penn State is a national championship contender, though, Millen paused. "I'll tell you after this game," he said.

Here's what Millen said in an interview with members of the Penn State beat about the line, the running backs, quarterback Drew Allar and the team's scouting report against Boise State.

Question: What is your impression of Penn State's offensive line?

Matt Millen: This is the best one that I've seen probably in at least the last decade. I would do games [in the past], and I would come back home and I'd go, 'They're good, but this offensive line's horrible.' And then I would see them at the next level playing really well and I'd say, 'What happened to you?' Never understood it. But they're doing a really, really good job. It's cohesive. They're all on the same page with Drew [Allar]. But what I like to watch with offensive linemen is footwork. And when you see an offensive line that they're all taking the same steps the right way, that's a huge sign, and that's exactly what this group does. Now, it doesn't hurt that they've got two pretty good running backs and, to be honest with you, a quarterback this year who was not afraid to take off and run. That makes a big difference.

Question: What have you seen from Drew Allar this season?

Matt Millen: He needs to stay another year, which he will. I think he already said he's going to do that. It's always little things, but what you see with him this year is from the neck up. I think it's his confidence. I think he understands more now what he's doing and how it has to be done. I think he sees the field a lot better. That's a huge piece. When you walk onto the field and the game slows down for you, that's a big advantage. And I think it probably slowed down for him a little bit. And so he's seeing the field a lot better. He's taking off and running in the open, giving himself and the offense a boost there. And he's using his tools around him. I think they've got some pretty good tools around him.

Question: How much could running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen help themselves by staying at Penn State?

Matt Millen: They're NFL-ready right now. They do all the little things well. When I watch them, I like to watch them in protection. They're both excellent. The running skills are going to be the running skills, but they catch the ball well, they understand protections, and that is the whole next level. And when rookies come in [to the NFL], especially running backs if you have a rookie in there, you're usually not too thrilled about what they see and don't see in the passing game. And so I think both these guys, I think they see protection pretty darn well. So that's a big deal. They catch the ball well, they run the ball well, they have good vision. They have all the requisite skills to be able to play at the next level, which they're going to. They're both excellent players.

Question: What do you like about Penn State's defense?

Matt Millen: The thing I like most about them is what they're going to have to be the best at this week. They do a good job of maintaining the discipline of their scheme. And when you break it down, everybody does their job, and most of the time is where they're supposed to be. And so in a game like this, with [Boise State running back Ashton] Jeanty — who has excellent vision, he can run through tackles, he's exceptional — if you're not where you're supposed to be, he'll find it. And so that's going to have to be their biggest strength, discipline of scheme.

Question: Is Penn State a championship contender?

Matt Millen: I'll tell you after this game, and here's the reason why: fundamentals. We just got done talking to Coach Franklin about it. Great teams are fundamentally sound all the time, and the fundamentals are all your basics. It's all the stuff that you get taught as a little kid on up. On the defensive side of the ball it's tackling: head's on the right side, you're running through things, you're maintaining discipline of scheme on defense, which is going to be huge in this game.

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