Still room to improve on the ground
Credit the fierce Auburn defensive line for not allowing Penn State to get much going on the ground all night long. It was expected to be a tough battle on the line of scrimmage and the running game was likely to have to fight really hard for every run.
Penn State rushed for just 84 yards as a team with Noah Cain leading the team with 45 yards on 19 carries. Clifford had a 20-yard run for the longest run of the night by the Nittany Lions. Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich even tried mixing things up at times by getting Jahan Dotson in motion to carry the football, but Auburn snuffed that one out on the first play of the game.
Penn State will face some challenging defenses again this season, so the offensive line will have to get stronger up front to allow the running game to get a little more traction in big spots.
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The whiteout delivers every dang time
After not having fans in the stadium last season, it was a beautiful sight to see as the whiteout made a triumphant return to Beaver Stadium. And although Auburn should be credited for not succumbing to the pressure of a whiteout atmosphere, there were a few moments where the crowd seemed to have an impact, including a false start penalty on the Tigers on a crucial possession in the fourth quarter.
Penn State’s overall record in whiteout games was ridiculed by many naysayers from SEC territory this week, but there is absolutely no disputing this was a terrific college football atmosphere. College football at its finest.
Is Penn State the best team in the Big Ten?
Maybe? It’s fair to suggest Penn State has the best overall resume through three week of the season with a road win against a top 25 Wisconsin team (which has now gone 2-1 overall and is facing Notre Dame in Chicago next week) and a top 25 Auburn team that was scoring 60 points per game coming in (Auburn may fall out of the top 25 rankings this week with the loss). Only the Iowa Hawkeyes can boast a similar profile through three weeks with wins against Iowa State and Indiana (who is now 1-2 after their home loss to Cincinnati in Week 3). Penn State will face Iowa in a matter of weeks and the possibility of a top 10 showdown between undefeated Penn State and undefeated Iowa is entirely in play.
Michigan continues to pound opponents on the ground and Michigan State is top 25 worthy following a solid road victory at Miami to go 3-0. Meanwhile, Ohio State struggled to take care of Tulsa for a while before pulling away in the fourth quarter, a week after losing at home to Oregon and leading to plenty of questions about the defense.
So, who is the best team in the Big Ten? You can make a case right now it is Penn State, but this is a question that will absolutely be answered on the field once Big Ten play goes all in for the rest of the season in a couple of weeks.
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