This Week's Best Penn State Football Stories

Offensive concerns, defensive 'soul' and future schedules highlight the top Nittany Lions news.

The Penn State football bye week didn't mean news took a vacation. We learned about the Nittany Lions' future Big Ten schedules, heard from the team's coordinators and got a breakdown of some offensive fixes in store. If you missed anything Penn State football related this week, catch up here with the Week in Review.

Taking Stock of Penn State's Offense

Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich fielded a gentle grilling of questions, despite leading a group that leads the Big Ten in scoring. Shouldn't an offense averaging 40.6 points per game be celebrated? Sure, and it is, but the Lions also understand they have some leaks to patch. One of them regards the receiving corps, whose timing with quarterback Drew Allar has been a "big concern," Yurcich said.

But maybe this is Penn State's offense, one that values ball control and protection over the explosive play. And yet, as Yurcich said, "the sexiness, or however may term that, we do understand there is an area for that."

As for Drew Allar, Yurcich has been impressed with the quarterback's development through the first five games, during which he has yet to throw an interception.

Penn State's Defense Finds Its 'Soul'

Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is going to be a head coach again soon, perhaps after this season, so Lions fans should enjoy what he's doing now. Diaz has said that he has the luxury of being job selective while at Penn State, and this season will put him on a host of short lists. Penn State could have the nation's best defense by season's end, so long as the group continues to avoid playing hero ball.

Diaz leans into the concept of defenders playing without capes, which means filling their lanes, doing their jobs and not overplaying. Diaz said he saw some of that in the first few games. No more, though, leading the defensive coordinator to utter this superb line: ""I like the fact that as a unit, we're starting to feel the soul of our defense."

Penn State Remains #Unrivaled

The Big Ten released five years of conference opponents this week, an ambitious, and possibly overly hopeful, endeavor. Its last opponents release in June lasted barely two month before the conference added two more teams in Oregon and Washington. And Penn State will play both in 2024.

The Lions, who still don't have a designated rival, play a monster schedule next season that includes home games against Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA and Washington and a road trip to USC. Good thing the playoff increases to 12 teams. Here's more on Penn State's Big Ten schedules.

Nittany Notes

Where does James Franklin rank among the nation's highest-paid coaches? USA Today released its annual database of coaching salaries.

Former Penn State quarterback Christian Veilleux is now QB1 at Pitt, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Remember when James Franklin called the atmosphere at Northwestern's Ryan Field "challenging"? Well, Northwestern coach David Braun invited the Lions back. And the return trip is scheduled for 2026.

Before the season, AllPennState interviewed college football analyst Mike Golic Jr. about the Nittany Lions' chances to make the College Football Playoff this season. Winning at Ohio State is the first step toward that goal. So, can Franklin win at Ohio Stadium for the first time? Let's refresh.

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.

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