Early Season Games

[SR108]

2023 Football Schedule - Penn State Athletics

The official 2023 Football schedule for the Penn State Nittany Lions

gopsusports.com

Really looking forward to the upcoming season. Everyone is always over optimistic at the beginning of the year. I am guardedly positive about the potential of this team. My biggest question marks are how will the new QB do. Allar has the tools, but accuracy seemed to be an issue during the spring game. He is also a first year starter, so there's that.

I am also still concerned with our size at Defensive tackle. Durant is bigger and stronger and very fast, but still undersized at 275. Beamon is really under sized at 256. VandenBerg is also undersized at 286. Ellies and Izzard are a bit bigger but question marks are still there. Will we be able to handle teams that have big physical offensive lines and will run right at us.

I am not as worried as some are at wide receiver. We have multiple young athletes with speed and seem to have a good coach in place who can develop players. At least a couple of players should emerge who can go get the deep ball. We will also have a strong tight end room, and backs who can catch. We should be able to spread the ball around.

With that said, and for what its worth, which is nothing but speculation at this point, which game of the first six games will tell us the most about this 2023 team?

I say Illinois away. Illinois is a team on the rise, that plays physical on both sides of the ball. The last time we played them they shoved the ball down our throats, and we were not able to adjust. I realize we will have better talent on the field but will we be able to handle them up front?

 

[Obliviax]

I agree with everything you said. DT is my biggest, and really only, concern. OK, punting and place-kicking as well.

I am not as concerned about Illinois:

• Sean was hurt, and got more hurt during the game on a cheap shot that wasn't called
• We didn't have a second-team QB with Levis leaving, our second-teamer crumbling against Iowa and it seems our third stringer may have been in the unannounced doghouse (he played later in the season and fairly well)
• CJF, knowing he didn't have a QB, tried to nurse the lead we held during the entire game
• Illinois surprised us with an 8-person OL. With that, we only gave up 10 points.
• In the 9 over times, we only gave up 10 more points.
• It was really two offenses that couldn't score. PSU because we didn't have a QB to play.

So I believe that Illinois game was a real anomaly due to not having a QB, nursing a lead, CJF's questionable offensive gameplan. and missing a wide-open SC in OT on a QB-eligible play.

I think Iowa is a more difficult match, although at home. Iowa picked up a very good QB from UM, Cade McNamara. They've got a really good Defense and OL. ESPN predicts they'll be the best defense in the B1G, if not all of college football. They had a great defense last year but their offense was, frankly, HORRIBLE. If a new QB can make their O acceptable, it will be a test. Add to that, Iowa always gives us fits.

 

[SR108]

I agree with everything you said. DT is my biggest, and really only, concern. OK, punting and place-kicking as well.

I am not as concerned about Illinois:

• Sean was hurt, and got more hurt during the game on a cheap shot that wasn't called
• We didn't have a second-team QB with Levis leaving, our second-teamer crumbling against Iowa and it seems our third stringer may have been in the unannounced doghouse (he played later in the season and fairly well)
• CJF, knowing he didn't have a QB, tried to nurse the lead we held during the entire game
• Illinois surprised us with an 8-person OL. With that, we only gave up 10 points.
• In the 9 over times, we only gave up 10 more points.
• It was really two offenses that couldn't score. PSU because we didn't have a QB to play.

So I believe that Illinois game was a real anomaly due to not having a QB, nursing a lead, CJF's questionable offensive gameplan. and missing a wide-open SC in OT on a QB-eligible play.

I think Iowa is a more difficult match, although at home. Iowa picked up a very good QB from UM, Cade McNamara. They've got a really good Defense and OL. ESPN predicts they'll be the best defense in the B1G, if not all of college football. They had a great defense last year but their offense was, frankly, HORRIBLE. If a new QB can make their O acceptable, it will be a test. Add to that, Iowa always gives us fits.

Fair enough in respect to Iowa, both games should test our Defensive Tackles.

 

[bvillebaron]

I agree with everything you said. DT is my biggest, and really only, concern. OK, punting and place-kicking as well.

I am not as concerned about Illinois:

• Sean was hurt, and got more hurt during the game on a cheap shot that wasn't called
• We didn't have a second-team QB with Levis leaving, our second-teamer crumbling against Iowa and it seems our third stringer may have been in the unannounced doghouse (he played later in the season and fairly well)
• CJF, knowing he didn't have a QB, tried to nurse the lead we held during the entire game
• Illinois surprised us with an 8-person OL. With that, we only gave up 10 points.
• In the 9 over times, we only gave up 10 more points.
• It was really two offenses that couldn't score. PSU because we didn't have a QB to play.

So I believe that Illinois game was a real anomaly due to not having a QB, nursing a lead, CJF's questionable offensive gameplan. and missing a wide-open SC in OT on a QB-eligible play.

I think Iowa is a more difficult match, although at home. Iowa picked up a very good QB from UM, Cade McNamara. They've got a really good Defense and OL. ESPN predicts they'll be the best defense in the B1G, if not all of college football. They had a great defense last year but their offense was, frankly, HORRIBLE. If a new QB can make their O acceptable, it will be a test. Add to that, Iowa always gives us fits.

I think we are going to spank Iowa and Franklin will run it up if given the opportunity.

 

[lazydave841]

I have a hard time believing Iowa will be as good defensively in '23 as they were in '21 and '22. Replacing Jack Campbell, a possible 1st round DE, and a couple other players is going to be tough. This is not Bama reloading. This is a school that generally has success with developing players, but that takes time.

On top of that, we moved the ball well on them in '21 without a running game until we were without a QB.

I'm not saying this is an easy game, but multiple things play in our favor. Their OL stunk in '22. They should have a good QB now, but gaining All at TE is a push; they've had great TEs constantly.

 

[SR108]

I think we are going to spank Iowa and Franklin will run it up if given the opportunity.

We certainly should out talent anyone in the first six games, I just can't seem to get over the hump in terms of worrying about teams we should beat. Your right about Iowa, or Illinois, both games should be two or three score victories. Hopefully we have the staff in place to really take advantage of our talent advantage in games like these.

 

[Obliviax]

We certainly should out talent anyone in the first six games, I just can't seem to get over the hump in terms of worrying about teams we should beat. Your right about Iowa, or Illinois, both games should be two or three score victories. Hopefully we have the staff in place to really take advantage of our talent advantage in games like these.

of all the things I noticed watching the B/W game is that every single player PSU put on the field looked like a terrific athlete. Easily the deepest at PSU team since before the "sanctions".

 

[bdgan]

2023 Football Schedule - Penn State Athletics

The official 2023 Football schedule for the Penn State Nittany Lions

gopsusports.com

Really looking forward to the upcoming season. Everyone is always over optimistic at the beginning of the year. I am guardedly positive about the potential of this team. My biggest question marks are how will the new QB do. Allar has the tools, but accuracy seemed to be an issue during the spring game. He is also a first year starter, so there's that.

I am also still concerned with our size at Defensive tackle. Durant is bigger and stronger and very fast, but still undersized at 275. Beamon is really under sized at 256. VandenBerg is also undersized at 286. Ellies and Izzard are a bit bigger but question marks are still there. Will we be able to handle teams that have big physical offensive lines and will run right at us.

I am not as worried as some are at wide receiver. We have multiple young athletes with speed and seem to have a good coach in place who can develop players. At least a couple of players should emerge who can go get the deep ball. We will also have a strong tight end room, and backs who can catch. We should be able to spread the ball around.

With that said, and for what its worth, which is nothing but speculation at this point, which game of the first six games will tell us the most about this 2023 team?

I say Illinois away. Illinois is a team on the rise, that plays physical on both sides of the ball. The last time we played them they shoved the ball down our throats, and we were not able to adjust. I realize we will have better talent on the field but will we be able to handle them up front?

Just get ready for WVa. I think Allar needs a few games to get comfortable so it's important that we don't turn the ball over and keep WVa in the game.

He should be better by week 3 vs Illinois but that's a road game so who knows?

 

[Obliviax]

Just get ready for WVa. I think Allar needs a few games to get comfortable so it's important that we don't turn the ball over and keep WVa in the game.

He should be better by week 3 vs Illinois but that's a road game so who knows?

I agree. That WVU team is bouncy. Last season, they beat Baylor and OK. yet, lost to Pitt, Kansas, Texas, but played tough against TCU. A game we should win but not a game we can take lightly. This is a HUGE game for WVu. And, as you say, road games, especially the first one, are iffy.

 

[ryoder1]

If Allar performs as we expect even if he is a little sluggish at the beginning of the season we still should win all the games leading up to O$U. If he has more trouble than we expect as in turnovers and/or not that accurate or whatever then watch out for Iowa. They are a team that makes a living off of beating more talented teams by getting turnovers and grinding you down.