It is not unrealistic at all to expect Penn State to have a better seaosn in 2015. Without question there is room for improvement and Penn State may or may not be ready to take that next step. But the pieces could be in place to provide more stability on the offensive line, which should help the overall effectiveness of the offense in 2015. The defense should continue to be in decent shape as well, which could all come together to add another win or two to the schedule if things go well.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com ran through the list of likely candidates from the Big Ten to make a push for a spot in next season’s New Years Six bowl line-up. Ohio State is an obvious pick, as the Buckeyes could likely be a preseason No. 1 in the fall. Michigan State and Wisconsin also have solid track records suggesting they could make a push as well (Michigan State played in the Cotton Bowl this past season, and defeated Big 12 champion Baylor). After that, Rittenberg starts to reach a little bit.
Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn State were mentioned as possibilities from the Big Ten. Here is what Rittenberg said about Penn State’s potential path to a New Years Six bowl game;
The Lions might not seem like a realistic candidate to some, but their schedule and potential for improvement on offense gives them an outside chance. They don’t play a Power 5 opponent in non-league play and have five of their first six games at Beaver Stadium. A 6-0 start certainly is possible. Penn State obviously needs significant improvement from an offensive line that will be deeper at most spots. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg is still a special talent and has weapons around him. The defense might not be quite as dominant but should hold up well under Bob Shoop’s direction. Trips to Ohio State and Michigan State will be tough, but if Penn State gains a split, it could enter NY6 contention.
Penn State has a light travel itinerary for the first half of the season. Penn State does not have to leave the state for the first six games of the 2015 season. As Rittenberg suggests, the possibility of a 6-0 start could be well within reach for Penn State (I’m not looking past Rutgers, yet). I have said before I expect a bit of a bounceback season from Hackenberg, a belief that is based on the suspicion the offensive line improves in 2015.
Road games at Ohio State and Michigan State will be difficult. If I had to mark down wins and losses today, I would put the Ohio State game down in ink and the Michigan State game down in pencil. You never know what teams will look like at the end of the year. Penn State gets Michigan at home after a week off, and a road game against Maryland in Baltimore may end up going a little better this time around.
I think the best case scenario for Penn State in 2015 is to be playing in a New Years Day bowl game, but more along the lines of the Outback Bowl or Capital One Bowl and not the Peach Bowl or Sugar Bowl.
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