Could Penn State make its first College Football Playoff in program history? That is certainly the hope and goal for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions heading into the 2023 season, and according to one post-spring top 25 projection, Penn State could indeed be looking forward to a playoff appearance.
USA TODAY Sports released its post-spring practice top 25, and Penn State landed a lofty position as the fourth-ranked team in the country. Two-time defending national champion Georgia was an easy pick at the top of the poll, and two-time defending Big Ten champion Michigan comes in second according to this post-spring ranking. But after third-ranked Alabama comes Penn State, which may be surprising to some.
The biggest improvement for Penn State that has elevated them into this projected playoff position is the development on the offensive line. From USA TODAY Sports;
One area where Penn State has made huge gains in the past several seasons is on the offensive line, seemingly an area of concern throughout coach James Franklin’s tenure. Led by All-America left tackle Olu Fashanu, this year’s group has a case for being counted among the Big Ten’s best thanks to increased depth and experience. They’ll lead the way for a young but immensely gifted backfield with quarterback Drew Allar taking over for Sean Clifford and running back Nicholas Singleton ready to be one of the nation’s best. If Allar can meet his expectations, the Nittany Lions could be the best team in the Big Ten.
It’s fair to suggest that the biggest thing that has separated Penn State from being on the same consistent level as Ohio State and Micigan has been the line of scrimmage battles, most notably with the offensive line. But the surprising return of [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] is a big boost to an offensive line that showed improvement last season and continues to grow with talent and depth.
Throw in the dynamic running back duo of [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and the high expectations for sophomore quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] taking over the reins of the offense following in the footsteps of Sean Clifford, and things are looking pretty good for Penn State’s offense.
Other teams ranked in the post-spring top 25 from USA TODAY Sports after Penn State included Florida State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Texas, and USC, respectively.
Iowa (no. 14) and Wisconsin (no. 25) are the only other Big Ten teams to be included in this ranking.
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