College football Week 8: Penn State among 5 teams on upset alert
College football upset alert No. 1: Penn State Nittany Lions
Rank: 8 | Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers | Time: Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET
At full strength, there was a lot to like about what the Penn State Nittany Lions could accomplish in the 2020 college football season. That’s why they come into their season-opener ranked No. 8 in the country. But the simple truth is that the Nittany Lions aren’t at full strength after losing two of the most important pieces on the roster.
That started a while ago with linebacker Micah Parsons, an All-American lock and absolute stud, opting out of the 2020 season amid COVID-19 concerns. He is not one of the players opting back in and the Nittany Lions will be without their defensive leader. Moreover, recent news revealed that big-play running back Journey Brown is now out for the season after a medical issue was revealed this offseason.
Yes, James Franklin still has talent at both positions but not having the star power could hurt, especially if quarterback Sean Clifford doesn’t take a step forward. And that’s dangerous as Penn State starts the year on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers, a team that is simply better than most people would be willing to give them credit for.
Indiana has a sneaky dangerous offense with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback as they return their two leading rushers and top three receivers from last season. Throw in a good-enough defense and this team is going to catch some Big Ten foes slipping. Penn State, given their current state, could very well be one of those teams, especially in game one of the year after such a tumultuous offseason.
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