Penn State has quietly put together a nice couple of weekends after it’s week one scare with Appalachian State. The Nittany Lions went to Pitt and dismantled the Panthers in week two and just put up 63 points on Kent State last weekend. They’ll have one more tune-up against Illinois Friday night before hosting the Buckeyes the following week.
The opponents haven’t been outstanding, but Penn State is doing what a dominant team should do against lesser opponents. There’s no longer a reason to think Penn State isn’t a playoff contender. The game against Ohio State could change that, of course, but that game is looking like a game-of-the-year candidate.
Trace McSorley has found his groove now too. His passing numbers aren’t ideal, he only completed 11 of 22 passes against Kent State, but he’s as dangerous with his legs as anybody. His nine carries went for 54 yards and three scores on the ground, to pair with his two scores through the air.
Penn State’s season will be defined by the outcome of the game against Ohio State. As a divisional matchup, the tiebreaker is everything. Whichever team loses must rely on the other to drop not one, but two conference games the rest of the season. Both Penn State and Ohio State are best served just winning the game. Obviously.
The winner will likely hold the top spot in these power rankings for the following few weeks.