Then there is COVID-19 uncertainty among the staff and players throughout the year. Fortunately for Penn State, the program is still loaded with promising talent at linebacker. Ohio State is favored by nearly two scores entering Saturday night’s game. In a season like this one, any team could suffer devastation at any time if it experiences a virus outbreak. The Nittany Lions open … I see that happening this year as well. An already-talented Sean Clifford has experience under his belt, as does the offensive line and multiple running backs. Will the Nittany Lions play all nine games? What if Journey Brown ends up missing the season? On the defensive side of the ball, this group of guys will likely be the bright spot for the team. - Where I am stumped is Michigan in Ann Arbor. I don’t see many other issues on the schedule outside of possibly a dangerous trip to the Big House in late November. I think Penn State is a very solid team but will succumb to Ohio State on Halloween. Losing Parsons obviously stings, but there's still enough talent to make a run at Ohio State. Despite the huge loss of Micah Parsons and potentially Journey Brown, the Nittany Lions should finish toward the top of the Big Ten for a second consecutive season. We’ve seen Penn State struggle in cold weather situations, and the final couple of weeks against Michigan and Michigan State will prove no different. So far this season we've seen how crazy things can go. Will Devyn Ford and Noah Cain be able to step up? Iowa is always a well-coached team and the lack of home crowd is a little concerning there, as well. The secondary was a glaring issue towards the end of last season, but all signs point to improvement in that department. With an array of hungry blue-chip talent at Ja’Juan Seider and Brent Pry’s disposal, each group will not skip a beat. 3 Ohio State In 38-25 Halloween Loss, Gameday Coverage: No. Iowa has played the Nittany Lions tough almost every year in the last five contests, and I can see the Hawkeyes take advantage of an empty Beaver Stadium and escaping Happy Valley with a win. Penn State will fall to Wisconsin there, as a well-oiled and experienced offense with big-play capabilities will cut apart the secondary. What’s that old saying about the best “ability” being “availability?” To me, having the deepest and most talented offensive line of the James Franklin era will help mitigate the change in offensive coordinators. Despite some key losses and unanswered questions at certain positions, this is a very good Penn State football team. Special teams will once again be strong. Can Sean Clifford (above) take a giant step forward and have success in the passing game against the toughest opponents? Despite a strange offseason and an even weirder conference-only season, expectations remain high for this Penn State squad. So Penn State’s 2020 football season is FINALLY upon us. As for the defense, there’s never any question besides the secondary. Despite some other tough games on the schedule, such as Iowa, Michigan, and even Indiana, Penn State has a mix of experienced veterans and young talent to overcome some of these tougher games. Due to the shortened season, this record looks worse than it truly is. Photo Story And what about the defense? Don’t sleep on the fact that the new offensive coordinator in question, Kirk Ciarrocca, exposed serious flaws in the Nittany Lions’ pass defense while OC at Minnesota last year. It is 2020 after all, folks. In the end, I think Penn State will finish second in the Big Ten East and take on Minnesota in the ninth game of the season. The Nittany Lions will drop one of those games but still find a way to the Big Ten Championship. That remains to be seen. And, obviously, the looming presence of potential COVID-19 issues. The Nittany Lions also have two experienced safeties headlining the secondary in Lamont Wade and Jaquan Brisker, who will both be pivotal in paving the way for improvement in the team’s pass defense from a year ago. The Nittany Lions will get revenge for their loss last year and pull off a comfortable win. Staff Picks: How Will Halloween’s Blue Moon Affect Penn State-Ohio State? The front seven is poised to be huge factors in games, but can the secondary improve? As if you weren’t already counting, No. This team could upset Ohio State in Week 2 and run the table if everything falls into place. The defense must prove itself, and it will. I like this team. Although potentially losing Journey Brown would be a blow to the offense, the running back room is deep enough to fill in for him. Will COVID be an issue at any point during the season? It is just a matter of time. With a lack of experienced pass-catchers on offense and trouble in limiting big plays on defense, Penn State will have a tough time countering Big Ten stars such as Justin Fields. I want to be a homer and call 9-0, but there's just too much uncertainty this year across college football. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Slot to Penn State Nittany Lions Newsletter. Subtract Micah Parsons and a White Out crowd, then factor in Ryan Day and company working with Justin Fields (and a reloaded supporting cast) for a full year, and this equation doesn't work out in favor of the home team. This group is one of the best Penn State has had in multiple seasons in my opinion, though, and I expect them to improve greatly upon a tough 2019 campaign. I love the depth and overall talent level on the offensive line. With the news coming out about Journey Brown Monday and Penn State’s inexperience in some key areas, the team doesn’t match up to the Buckeyes favorably. I hope these questions get answered early on, but if they don’t, Nittany Lion fans are in for a long season. COMMENT: A season like this will show which teams are truly well-coached. 8 Penn State football is set to kick off its 2020 campaign in just three days. The Nittany Lions open their Big Ten-only, eight-game-plus-one campaign at Indiana Oct. 24 in a game that is slated to kick off at 3 p.m. and can be seen on FS1. The Gophers passing attack will cause problems but don’t count out how badly Sean Clifford will want to win that game. 2 is not ideal, but I think that will be the only loss, giving Penn State a shot at getting to the CFP. Aside from long-built-up intrigue regarding Kirk Ciarrocca's offensive attack, particularly when it comes to Sean Clifford and his receivers, what I wonder most is whether this circus of a College Football Playoff race would leave room for a one-loss Penn State squad. COMMENT: Making predictions in this unprecedented environment is more than challenging. 8-1 won’t get Penn State in the College Football Playoff, but another New Year’s Six bowl should be in the cards. James Franklin also has one of the top running back rooms in the country, a returning QB and a great group of tight ends. No spring practice. Welcome back to college football, Penn State fans.

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