The Penn State Football Bye Week Roundtable: Where Do the Nittany Lions Stand?

Penn State gets an early week off to review its successes and concerns of a 2-0 start.

Penn State coach James Franklin celebrates with fans after his team defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Penn State's earliest bye week since 2002 (remember having Week 2 off following a win over Central Florida?) probably doesn't hit the schedule at the best time. The Nittany Lions, their defense in particular, would much rather cleanse elements of last week's 34-27 win over Bowling Green than sit quietly this weekend. But here we are.

So as the Nittany Lions ruminate over the 2-0 start, we'll do the same. We have questions about Penn State football. And perhaps some answers.

1. Which stretch represents Penn State better so far? The first-half against Bowling Green, which led 24-20 at halftime, or the middle quarters against West Virginia, in which Penn State outscored the Mountaineers 27-6?

Daniel Mader: The middle quarters of the West Virginia game — that’s when the new-look offense has looked its best so far. Bowling Green was a bigger challenge than it should’ve been, but I think the identity Penn State’s slowly finding as a team is focused on the offensive explosiveness we’ve heard a lot about. Top-ranked college football teams tend to underestimate opponents they’re heavily favored against (i.e., Notre Dame). I think Penn State was bound to have one of those types of games eventually, and it just came earlier than expected vs. the Falcons. What's more important is that they still won. 

Sam Woloson: I believe the middle quarters against West Virginia represents Penn State better so far. We saw how complete this team can be, playing solid defense and making splash plays on offense. I think Penn State just didn’t get up for the Bowling Green game and didn’t have the same energy or focus on its opponent. Come the big games against USC and Ohio State, I expect the Nittany Lions to be locked in.

Mark Wogenrich: I'm willing to call Penn State's first-half defensive effort against Bowling Green an outlier until it repeats. Which is why I think the middle quarters vs. West Virginia represent what this team really wants to be: attacking, opportunistic, and relentless. That series to close the first half against West Virginia included the deep shot that Penn State might not have taken in last year's Big Ten schedule. Penn State had defensive edge, too, forcing two punts to begin the third quarter and sending West Virginia into its erratic passing game.

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2. Are you more confident in Andy Kotelnicki's offense or more concerned with Tom Allen's defense?

Daniel Mader: More confident in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. Tom Allen took over a defensive unit that was one of the nation’s best in 2023 under Manny Diaz, so expecting him to carry that over into 2024 was probably unrealistic. I think the Nittany Lions will be fine defensively, and the second half vs. Bowling Green was indicative of that. The way players have raved about the creativity and clarity of Kotelnicki’s offense is a fantastic sign. There’s elements to his offense that weren’t present last season and Drew Allar looks like he’s turned another corner. Kotelnick’s offense is what’s lifting Penn State’s ceiling so far. 

Sam Woloson: I’m more confident in Kotelnicki’s offense. Yes, it’s only been two games, but the signs are there. Allar is taking more deep shots, we’re seeing more creative personnel groupings and motions, and the offensive line is holding up really well overall. We’ll see how this offense evolves throughout the season, but it certainly feels like a higher ceiling than previous years.

Mark Wogenrich: Penn State's first-half defensive performance against Bowling Green did Allen no favors, but some of the issues stemmed from a positive place. The defense looked like it misdirected energy to making individual plays rather than working in concert. Allen can repair that. Hs players probably heard the term "gap sound" incessantlythis week. For me, the offense largely has inspired renewed confidence. Kotelnicki needs to cultivate more playmakers, and convert more third downs, but his explosive-play nature is so refreshing after last season.

Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen arrives at Milan Puskar Stadium before the Nittany Lions' game against West Virginia. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

3. What has been the biggest surprise of Penn State's 2-0 start?

Daniel Mader: The fact that they’re 2-0 with 68 total points yet have completed just 10 passes to wide receivers. Tyler Warren was always going to be a top target, and the Nick Singleton/Kaytron Allen duo had set the bar high for Penn State’s run game. But the buzz surrounding Liam Clifford, Harrison Wallace III and Julian Fleming made it seem that the Nittany Lions had figured out their WR issues, and so far, that’s not fully the case. Wallace’s strong Week 1 performance (5 rec, 117 yards, 2 TDs) isn’t being ignored here, but that’s virtually the only statistical impact a receiver has made. The ground attack and Warren should be the priorities, but the Nittany Lions will need more WR production as Big Ten play approaches. 

Sam Woloson: The biggest surprise for me has been the wide receivers. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken the offseason bait, but I really thought the wide receivers would play a bigger role in this passing offense. Harrison Wallace III had a big game against West Virginia, and Omari Evans has made a few big catches, but that’s pretty much it. Julian Fleming and Liam Clifford haven’t been as impactful as I thought, and the passing game has flowed more through the tight ends and running backs so far.

Mark Wogenrich: The lack of a consistent pass rush. West Virginia and Bowling Green certainly mitigated Penn State's ends with double teams (notably the Mountaineers on Abdul Carter) and quick-release strategies (notably Bowling Green's Connor Bazelak getting rid of the ball in like 2.5 seconds). But the Nittany Lions aren't generating pressure with their four-man rush, and neither Carter nor Dani Dennis-Sutton has a sack. Penn State has two sacks, tied for last in the Big Ten, while Indiana (Penn State DC Tom Allen's former team) has 10. Sacks don't define a defense, but Penn State led the nation with 49 last season. They do matter.

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4. Which player has made the best introduction to 2024?

Daniel Mader: Drew Allar. In a small sample size compared to last season, he’s looked more efficient (64.9% completion vs. 59.9% in 2023), more willing to throw the ball downfield (11.4 yards/completion vs. 6.8 in 2023) and more willing to use his strength as a runner (3.9 yards/carry vs. 2.8 in 2023). This looks more like the Allar that Penn State fans had always hoped for. Tyler Warren, Tony Rojas and Nick Singleton deserve recognition here as well, but this is a quarterback’s game, and Allar looks significantly improved under Kotelnicki. 

Sam Woloson: I’ve been impressed with linebacker Tony Rojas this season. He showed flashes as a true freshman last season, and now he feels like one of the defense’s impact players. He’s made 10 total tackles and had an important interception to help Penn State pull out the win against Bowling Green.

Mark Wogenrich: Let's call it a re-introduction for running back Nicholas Singleton, who seems to have put everything together. He was fast but raw as a freshman and seemingly tentative (and misused) as a sophomore. Through two games this year, Singleton has made patient yet decisive cuts, burned past defensive backs and proved himself a pass-game threat. Singleton is rounding into the back he's long wanted to be.

5. What does Penn State need to fix first?

Daniel Mader: Penalties. We heard it from James Franklin and the players after Week 1 — Penn State needed to clean things up after eight total penalties vs. West Virginia. That was supposed to change in Week 2, then the Nittany Lions went out and totaled seven more, only giving the Falcons more chances for an upset win. The self-inflicted mistakes will hold this team back a lot more if they continue. Opponents have possessed the ball around three minutes longer than Penn State has through two weeks despite the Nittany Lions outscoring them 68-39. Penalties have played a role in that, and they should be addressed over the early bye.

Sam Woloson: It’s hard to pinpoint one thing in such a small sample size, but I’d say tackling is a concern after the Bowling Green game, which James Franklin addressed in his media availability Thursday. Scheming players into the correct positions is only half the battle; Penn State needs to make open-field tackles, especially as the competition level increases during Big Ten play and yards become more of a premium.

Mark Wogenrich: The penalty situation is pretty jarring, especially for a coach and program that demand such discipline. But third down has been pretty uninspiring for the offense. Penn State ranks 94th nationally in third-down conversions (7-for-20) and went 2-for-9 against Bowling Green. Thus Franklin's postgame lament that the Nittany Lions aren't generating enough plays; essentially they score rather quickly or go 3-and-out.