Penn State’s margin for error is gone, and the next two weeks could make things uglier in a hurry.
At 3-2, the Nittany Lions are already staring at the wrong side of a 3-4 stretch if they don’t clean up the mess that showed up in losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern. Friday night’s 34-13 loss at new Ryan Field only sharpened the concern, and now the schedule turns toward a home White Out game against USC before a road trip to Michigan.
There’s no mystery about what needs fixing. There are a lot of things.
The defense has to speed up. Against Northwestern, Penn State looked sluggish and out of sync while the Wildcats piled up 413 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The missed tackles were a problem all night, and so was the ease with which Northwestern’s offensive line moved Penn State’s front off the ball. Campbell and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn should be worried about the linebacker play beyond Tony Rojas.
The offense needs a faster start, too. In Big Ten games, Penn State has scored just 24 first-half points.
The defense has provided one of the better early sparks, with Josiah Zayas returning an interception for a touchdown against Wisconsin and Daryus Dixson setting up an offense possession with a short field against the Badgers. But offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s group has done very little early in conference play, and that won’t fly against USC.
The Trojans have topped 39 points in four of their first five games, and their lowest output this season was 25 in a 25-21 win over Washington on Saturday. If Penn State drags into the game slowly again, it’s going to get buried.
Third down has become its own problem. Too often, Penn State is calling short passes that don’t reach the sticks, leaving the offense stranded before it can extend drives. Campbell clearly doesn’t trust the unit enough to go for it on fourth down unless the distance is one or two yards, and that hesitation says plenty.
Against USC, Penn State needs to be aggressive and get its best skill players involved. The run game still hasn’t produced a clear No. 1 option after five games.
Carson Hansen has had chances. James Peoples started against Northwestern.
Quinton Martin Jr. deserves more looks after his 103-yard effort against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. And with Koby Howard out, Chase Sowell stands out as the most dangerous wide receiver.
Becht didn’t.
Penn State should keep trying anyway. Robinson caught two passes for 24 yards against Northwestern, and he remains a threat once the ball is in his hands.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Wont Like What An In-State Rival Coach Said
Pat Narduzzi had plenty to say after Pitts close win over Virginia Tech, and much of it was bound to land with Penn State fans as a familiar jab from across the state. The Pitt coach addressed a controversial missed field goal in that game, then turned his attention to the AP Top 25, questioning Penn States placement despite the recent losses that have piled up for the Nittany Lions.
Narduzzi also used the moment to make a case for his own program, pointing to Pitts undefeated start and current ranking as proof his team deserves more respect. It was the latest reminder that the tension between Pitt and Penn State remains very much alive, with Narduzzi continuing a public back-and-forth that has long carried extra weight in a rivalry shaped by him and former Penn State coach James Franklin. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Early Big Ten Slide Suddenly Looks Like A Bigger Problem
Two weeks into Big Ten play, the leagues shape is already starting to tell a familiar story at the top, with the conference heavyweights still looking the part while some of the preseason contenders are scrambling to catch up. Penn State is in that second group after an uneven start that has made the early standings feel less like a snapshot and more like a warning sign, especially with the Big Tens path to multiple College Football Playoff bids depending on its best teams stacking wins and avoiding the kind of stumbles that can linger all fall.
The Nittany Lions are not alone in that bind, but their position carries extra weight because expectations were so high before league play began. Washington is facing its own early trouble, and several coaching situations around the conference are already under a sharper spotlight, yet Penn States slide stands out because it changes the margin for error so quickly. If the league is going to earn the depth it needs at the top, the teams that were supposed to anchor it cannot keep giving ground this early. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Lost The Spotlight For A Huge Michigan Trip
Penn States trip to Michigan on October 17 no longer has the feel of a late-night showcase. The Big Ten announced the game at Michigan Stadium will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, pulling it out of the prime-time window many had anticipated and shifting some of the national spotlight away from what had shaped up as one of the leagues more intriguing midseason matchups.
It still carries plenty of weight in the Big Ten race, though. Both teams are 0-2 in conference play, which is the first time that has happened to Penn State since it joined the league in 1993, and that makes the meeting even more important for two programs trying to steady themselves. Before that trip, Penn State gets its own marquee stage Saturday night, hosting No. 19 USC in a White Out game at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCs Big Ten Saturday Night. [Read more 🡒]