Forget about Michigan or Wisconsin, Penn State is the biggest threat to Ohio State to win the Big Ten.
In the time it took to write this sentence, Penn State scored again on Maryland. The Nittany Lions own the Terps, who so desperately want to make this game a rivalry, but after being outscored 163-6 over their last three meetings, itās anything but.
Entering the season, Penn State was almost like the forgotten team in the Big Ten East with Ohio State and Michigan, once again, taking all the headlines and mediaās attention outside of Happy Valley. After one month, itās clear that overlooking James Franklinās team was a foolish one.
This team is for real and they represent the biggest threat to Ohio State winning another Big Ten Championship.
While Michigan was the mediaās pick in the preseason, it looks like the Wolverines will be competing for another third or fourth-place finish in the division.
Itās Penn State, behind an offense averaging 50 points per game and a defense yielding only 7.5 per game that canāt be overlooked. The Nittany Lions pose a threat to the Buckeyes in a year many were discounting after the loss of quarterback Trace McSorley who was the heartbeat of the program last year. Before that, they weathered the loss of running back Saquon Barkley. Despite the roster turnover, Franklinās team continues to reload and remain competitive.
Quarterback Sean Clifford isnāt putting up the type of video-game numbers that Ohio Stateās Justin Fields is putting up, but heās still been a steady and reliable presence under center. Clifford is completing 66 percent of his passes on 11.1 yards per attempt and a 9:1 touchdown: interception ratio. That type of production will play all year and ensure Penn State isnāt overmatched by any of the top defenses theyāll see in Big Ten action.
There is no Barkley or Miles Sanders taking the majority of the carries but sharing the workload is working in the first four games so Franklin will continue to ride that until it doesnāt work.
Journey Brown leads the team with 196 yards on an average of 7.54Ā yards per carry. Clifford leads the team in attempts with 32 and averages more than 40 yards per game on the ground. Heās no McSorley with the ball in his hands, but he doesnāt need to be.
Devyn Ford and Noah Cain represent a dangerous freshmen duo that should get better with each passing week. Theyāve already combined for six touchdowns on the ground with Cain having a team-high four scores on only 23 carries.
The most dangerous player on the entire offense is receiver K.J. Hamler who has a team-high 16 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns. Heās a blur on the field and a nightmare to tackle in the open field. That has never been more clear than on this touchdown in the win vs. Maryland.
And for the most dangerous person on the defense and one of the best defenders to come through Happy Valley in a few years? That honor goes to defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos who figures to be a potential top-10 pick in the NFL Draft.
He leads the team with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. When heās on, heās one of the best defensive linemen in the country.
Sophomore linebacker and former five-star recruit Micah Parsons is still coming into his own but leads the team in tackles and has yet to really show how good and disruptive he can be. He should see exponential growth each week. He is the next great linebacker to come out of Linebacker U.
Penn State has to navigate the tough Big Ten schedule that has trips to Iowa and Michigan State and hosting Michigan before their Nov. 23 date at Ohio State. However, if the Nittany Lions can avoid looking ahead to that showdown, they may be undefeated and control their Big Ten title hopes and their College Football Playoff fates in their hands.
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