The 2015 college football season kicks off in two weeks, and Penn State enters its first full season in the post sanction era. After a rather disappointing first season as head coach,(7-6) James Franklin is looking forward to a better campaign in 2015.
Many questions surround this Nittany Lions team, most of them concerning the offense, which ranked 111th nationally last season. The biggest issue, is the offensive line. Sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked 44 times in 2014, top five worst in the nation. The talented signal caller struggled in his second season due to this and due to the fact that he had to learn a new system, after Franklin was hired when O’Brien left.
Here’s what you can expect from each unit in 2015.
Offense:
As I stated, the offensive line is the Achilles heel of this capable unit. The Lions lose the most experienced linemen in Donovan Smith who left for the draft. Franklin may have found his replacement, in JUCO transfer OT Paris Palmer. Palmer comes in at 6’8 and roughy 280 pounds . The offensive line group should consist of ( from left to right) Palmer, Brendan Mahon, Angelo Mangiro, Brian Gaia, and Andrew Nelson. A far more experienced group than last year. The line will be protecting junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg. The former 5 star recruit had a shaky sophomore season with 12TDs to 15INTs passing for just under 3,000 yards. He did turn his season around in the bowl game throwing for 379 yards and 4 scores. If the line can improve, that should give Hackenberg enough time to connect with his arsenal of weapons. That arsenal is led by red shirt Sophomore WR Daesean Hamilton, who caught 82 passes for 900 yards last season. Joining Hamilton is red shirt junior Geno Lewis, had an inconsistent season last year like many guys on offense, but can be a viable #2 reciever. Joining those two are sophomores Saeed Blacknall and Chris Godwin, both of which started to show up later in the season. The group will be rounded off by red shirt freshman DeAndre Thompkins, the speedy youngster is probably the most virsital player on this team. From a tight end standpoint, offensive coordinator John Donovan did lose a monster target in Jesse James, who left for the draft. Senior Kyle Carter will be the starter while sophomore Adam Breneman, who is returning from a season ending injury in 14′ will also see action along with 6’6 Mike Gesicki, who knows how to dunk a basketball or two. The running back spot is junior Akeel Lynch’s, but it’s the spot behind him that’s up for grabs. Freshman Saquon Barkley will be in the mix, along with red shirt freshmen Mark Allen, Nick Scott, and Johnathan Thomas. Three guys with last names that are first names, anyway none of these guys have had an in game snap in college, so if Lynch, who rushed for 678 yards in 2014 gets injured, there will be an issue. Speaking of backups, many people want to know who Hackenberg’s backup is, that’s Trace McSorley. The red shirt freshman will be the #2 while freshman Tommy Stevens will be the 3. McSorley has been getting more reps in practice, mostly because many people expect Hackenberg to leave after this year. The success of this unit will fall on the success of the offensive line.
Defense:
The nation’s 9th ranked defense returns two defensive line standouts in senior Anthony Zettle and Junior Austin Johnson. Many of you know Zettle as the guy who tackles trees, kicks water bottles, and makes Bigfoot sounds, but he did have 17 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 3 interceptions in 2014. Zettle, Johnson along with Carl Nassib and Garrett Sickles will make up the front group that will try to repeat as the 2nd ranked run defense in the country. Bob Shoop’s unit will have to replace all American linebacker Mike Hull who led the Big Ten in tackles(140) in 2014. Juniors Von Walker and Nyeem Wartman will see a lot of playing time. Wartman should be a standout this year after being 2nd on the team in tackles last season with 75. Brandon Bell is another junior who will see plenty of action this year. Gary Wooten will be a starter at outside linebacker. Ben Kline is another guy who will be competing for playing time. In the secondary, senior Jordan Lucas will look to be a leader. Adrian Amos has graduated and has been drafted, it’s now Lucas’ time to step up. Marcus Allen, Grant Haley, and Trevor Williams are young guys ready to make a big impact and become full time staters. Haley and Williams are capable of being big time ball hawks. Freshmen Garrett Taylor and John Reid are two guys fighting for a depth spot in a crowded secondary. If this unit can continue to be as good as they were last year, they should be able to keep the team in many games.
Special teams:
Probably the second biggest concern behind the o-line is the kicking game. Legendary kicker Sam Ficken has graduated and the competition is on to see who will replace Ficken’s 100 point performance in 2014. Joey Julius has seem to won the contest over Tyler Davis, and Chris Gulla, who will be the punter. Julius isn’t your typical kicker, he weighs 244 and is built like a linemen. He will have to do well this season if he wants to keep the spot from Quinn Nordin, the nation’s top ranked kicker in the 2016 recruiting cycle who will be joining the Lions in 2016. The same goes for Gulla when the nation’s 3rd ranked punter Blake Gillikin who will also arrive in 16′. DeAndre Thompkins should do most of the return game this season.
Now let’s get to the games.
The Nittany Lions will open the season on September 5th in Philly as they take on Temple. Penn State beat Temple 30-13 in 2014. Penn State then plays five straight home games against Buffalo, Rutgers, San Diego State, Army, and Indiana.
There is no reason why Penn State cannot start off 6-0 against a rather weak schedule and five of them being infront of 107K. Franklin’s squad will have their first big test on October 17th when they head to Columbus to take on the national champs. Hackenberg and Zettle helped lead Penn State to a 2OT rally against Ohio State in 2014, but fell short 31-24. The young Lions offensive line will have their hands full with all American Joey Bosa and company. The Lions then head to Baltimore to reignite the rivalry with Maryland. Penn State is set on revenge for this one. The team then returns home to face Illinois, looking to bounce from an embarrassing loss last season. A trip out west to Northwestern follows that, and then the Lions return to Beaver stadium for the white out against Michigan. The season ends with a trip to Michigan State, which will be a tough test, but a good QB matchup with Hackenberg and Connor Cook.
Now here are the scenarios for the season.
Worst case scenario: 7-5
An early loss to Temple or SDSU can derail the team’s confidence and lead to issues entering conference play. Ohio State soundly beats the Lions. A loss to either Maryland or Northwestern brings back demons from last year’s struggles. An embarrassing home loss to Michigan is followed with a poor performance against Sparty. The o-line struggles and Hackenberg is continually pressured and the young replacements on defense struggle.
Best case scenario: 10-2
The Lions start off 6-0 in dominate fashion and then lose a close one to the Buckeyes. Penn State then gets revenge on Maryland, Illinois, Northwestern, and Michigan improving to 10-1. A cold night in northern Michigan ends up being a tough one to swallow to end the season. The o-line improves, Hackenberg connects with his talented weapons and throws for 3,500 yards with 25 TDs to only 10 INTs. The defense continues to be one of the best in the country and the special teams doesn’t lose a beat.
Most likely scenario: 9-3
Penn State is able to start 6-0, surviving a couple of scares. A loss to Ohio State is almost unavoidable. The Lions then improve in their Big Ten play, but drops one along the way. A loss to Michigan State ends the regular season. A bowl game on either New Year’s Day or Eve is very possible. The offensive line makes strides, but Hackenberg is swarmed against the tougher defenses. He does however throw for more touchdowns than interceptions. Lynch has a nice season rushing for almost 1,000 yards. Zettle and Johnson dominate, but the younger guys struggle. Joey Julius has an up and down season kicking the ball.
Coach Franklin is building the program back up to a national contender and this season is the first step in the right direction. The Lions could easily win 10 games, but they could just as easily lose 5. Most of that will depend on Hackenberg and his offense. Look for him and his star wide out Hamilton to have impressive seasons along with Zettle, Wartman, and Lucas on the other side of the ball.
Bottom line:
It’s going to be a better year than last year, but there are even better years ahead. Just enjoy this season, because it’ll be nice to see the glory returned to the Lion.
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