CBS Sports writer says take over on Penn State win total in 2022
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As we approach the start of another college football season, there continue to be some mixed reactions on just how to properly evaluate where Penn State will fit into the picture in 2022. But according to one writer for CBS Sports, you can probably count on the Nittnay Lions winning a good share of games this fall.
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports recently broke down some win totals for the upcoming season and suggests there should be confidence in taking Penn State to go over a projected win total of 8.5. Fornelli notes that the last two seasons have thrown a bit of a curveball at analysts examining Penn State, and justifiably so. A program with plenty of talent on the roster has gone just .500 over the past two seasons. But Fornelli thinks the Nittany Lions have a bit of a rebound in them this season.
“I firmly believe that Penn State is better than the team we’ve seen the last two seasons,” Fornelli explained. “I don’t take anything that happened in the Big Ten in 2020 too seriously, and there are reasons to think the Nittany Lions will take a step forward this year. They’re still one of the more talented teams in the conference, and quarterback Sean Clifford will be playing under the same offensive coordinator in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career.”
Clifford announced his decision to return for a sixth season of eligibility. As Fornelli notes and has been mentioned multiple times over the course of this offseason, Clifford will finally have a chance to work with the same offensive coordinator for a second full season in Mike Yurcich. Yurcich has some room to improve after mediocre results last season as well, and we look forward to seeing if these two can put it all together this fall.
But the offense is just one half of the picture. The Penn State defense, with a new defensive coordinator in Manny Diaz, has some big shoes to fill. But there are players more than equipped to step in and keep the defense a strength overall.
“Despite losing a few key components, the defense should still be good,” Fornelli suggests. “Finally, the schedule isn’t too bad. The Lions get Ohio State and Michigan State at home, and a road trip to Auburn won’t be nearly as difficult as it looked like it would be when it was scheduled.”
Penn State may face a tougher schedule than Fornelli indicates. Opening the season on the road for a Thursday night game at Purdue is no easy task, and Penn State also has to travel to Michigan Stadium to face the defending Big Ten champions in a stadium that rarely yields positive results for Penn State (although they did win their last trip there two seasons ago).
Penn State could have a 10-win season in them if September goes well with road wins at Purdue and Auburn, but it would be reasonable if you were hesitant to pick nine wins from a program that has come up short of expectations the past two seasons the way Penn State has.
List
Ranking Penn State's 2022 schedule from Ohio to Ohio State
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