Let’s be honest. There are worst ways to start a new year than by watching your favorite college football team lose in a bowl game when it’s cold and rainy outside, right? As dark and gloomy as things seemed to be while watching Penn State’s 24-10 loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl, it could have been worse, right?
If you don’t think so, you probably were not alone. A glance at my Twitter feed showed plenty of frustrations and negative reactions as Penn State had no answers for the Arkansas running game after halftime and the offense was completely out of sorts for much of the game. Even as someone who likes to find optimistic spins wherever I can, even I had a tough time finding too many bright spots in the Outback Bowl.
But it would also be unwise to push the panic button already for the 2022 season based on the 2021 season’s bowl finale. We can spend some time reacting to what we witnessed during the season soon enough, and believe me, we will. But here are my five takeaways from the Outback Bowl and the Outback Bowl only.
OK, maybe a few thoughts about turning the page toward the 2022 season will be sprinkled in.
1. Penn State’s defense played like a defense missing six key starters
Say whatever you want about players opting out of bowl games, but it is incredibly difficult to make up for the absence of six of your top defensive starters against a talented and physical team like Arkansas. Penn State had a lot of roster management to throw into the bowl prep, which led to players getting placed in roles they don’t typically hold (Jonathan Sutherland at linebacker) or getting players a chance to step into a significant role for the first time without much time to prep.
For one half of play, Penn State’s defense looked like it was going to be able to get the job done. But Arkansas realized they didn’t have to do to much to take the gas out of the undermanned Penn State defense.
Opt-outs didn’t lose the game for Penn State, but it certainly hurt in a big way. It’s not an excuse. It is a reality.
2. Sean Clifford played his worst game of the season
I’m not here to rag on Sean Clifford. I have said time and time again he is a player that deserves a tremendous amount of credit for balling out for Penn State as hard as he has over the last few seasons. But he clearly did not play his best in the Outback Bowl, and that was disappointing to see.
The lack of offense shouldn’t fall entirely on Clifford, of course. The offensive line still showed plenty of room to improve, but Clifford was 14-of-32 for 195 yards and two interceptions. He was flagged for intentional grounding on the opening drive of the game that led to a badly-missed 50-yard field goal attempt, and he was intercepted in the end zone on a play that was forced the way he may have done in 2020, not 2021.
Clifford did have 46 rushing yards on 12 attempts and he connected with a wide-open KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a touchdown, but he overthrew some key passes (one of which was still hauled in by Parker Washington), and he was eventually replaced by Christian Veilleux in the fourth quarter.
Barring any unforeseen changes, Clifford is coming back in 2022, as he previously announced. With Veilleux still sticking around and Drew Allar coming in with the Class of 2022, the Clifford storyline will be magnified just a bit more next fall.