When USC and Lincoln Riley go up against James Franklin and Penn State in Big Ten play next year, should Riley be especially worried by the challenge Penn State’s defense will pose?
Oklahoma expert Kegan Reneau, who followed Riley closely at OU and was our guest on the 2022 Riley Files summer podcast series, offered a direct answer.
“I’ve watched Ohio State attack them over the last half decade. I don’t see anything in Penn State’s defense that I think would give Riley any concern,” Reneau said.
It is well-known that Ohio State has so much speed. That’s the point of differentiation for the Buckeyes when going against Penn State. Much like Ohio State with its wide receivers, Lincoln Riley has the skill position studs at USC which can do damage against Penn State. The Nittany Lions are great at shutting down any offense which doesn’t have a lot of high-end studs, but when a team can play Star Wars, Penn State’s defense will fight an uphill battle.
Part of this is tactics, part of this is having the speed and the overall tools to work with when going at Penn State’s defense. USC and Lincoln Riley certainly figure to have the tools, especially if Miller Moss or Malachi Nelson are ready at quarterback in 2024.
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