Penn State has completed the first half of the regular season and finds itself sitting in a great spot on its quest to compete in this year expanded College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions sit at no. 3 in the major polls during their bye week as they prepare for a road game at Wisconsin and a home game against Ohio State in the next couple of weeks.
With Penn State sitting on a bye week, we decided to get together as a staff and share some of our options on the Nittany Lions before the second half gets started. We shared our midseason assessments but continue with a look at the biggest surprise for Penn State so far this season.
Brad: There was a lot of hype coming into the year regarding how the offense would look under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] as they tried to get the most out of five-star quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] who underwhelmed last season, and so far, I think everything has lived up to the hype. When the running backs are healthy, this rushing attack has been dominant.
Despite wide receivers still not jumping off the screen, Allar has been able to push the ball down the field as a result of the scheme. [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], their best offensive weapon, is being used in ways that makes it hard for defenses to limit his damage. And there are explosive plays back in Happy Valley once again. It’s strange to say that the offense is the best unit on a Penn State team based on what has occurred the past few years, but that’s certainly the case with this group under Kotelnicki and Allar.
Charlie: The biggest surprise for me has been the offense. There were times last season where Penn State just struggled to find a rhythm and put together drives to win against high level opponents. The explosiveness and creativity is much more than what I ever imagined before the season started. Andy Kotelnicki’s has turned Tyler Warren into a the ultimate gadget player with some people even saying he is worth a look for the Heisman Trophy.
Anyone that tells you they expected this type of Tyler Warren in 2024 is lying. Penn State’s offense, unlike in past years, can carry this team. That alone makes their play the most surprising because Penn State has relied so heavily on its defense to bail them out and halfway through this year it seems to be the opposite.
Shayne: The offensive line has not been great through six games, despite so much success recruiting in that area. Losing three NFL-caliber players from last years group doesn’t help, but it’s still something they need to improve. Maybe we see more snaps for some of the reserves throughout the rest of the season.
Kevin: I was not sure the hiring of Andy Kotelnicki was going to have quite the impact it has seemed to have so far this season, or at least as quickly as it did. Yes, there have been some slow starts by the offense, which is equally puzzling and frustrating as it is disappointing. But it does seem this offense has improved in a big way with a more productive running game and big explosive plays happening far more frequently than they did all of last year.
Check out more of our midseason roundtable discussions:
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