Penn State enters Week 7 looking to right the ship after suffering two consecutive losses. The 3-2 Nittany Lions will host 3-2 Northwestern on Saturday, following defeats to then-No. 6 Oregon in overtime in Week 5 and a previously winless UCLA program at the Rose Bowl in Week 6.
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PSU was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press’s preseason poll, but has slipped out of the top-25 after the loss to the Bruins. Amid the slide, questions have arisen about head coach James Franklin’s future with the program.
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The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo spoke with rival coaches of PSU about the problems going on this fall in University Park, Pennsylvania. Two coaches noticed the offense has tendencies that are easy to catch, with one calling the scheme “gimmicky.”
“They’re gimmicky in what they do formationally, with motions and shifts, and if you can get a bead on that, it’s not as much of an issue as what they make it out to be,” the defensive coach said. “There’s a lot of prediction there.”
One alleged tell is the Nittany Lions run wherever tight end Khalil Dinkins blocks.
Another rival coach called Penn State quarterback Drew Allar “overrated.”
“I think the quarterback is overrated from what you hear about him so much,” the coach said. “He’s got a big arm, but it’s inconsistent ball placement down the field. I don’t think they really want to put the ball in his hands if you look at how they call it.”
Allar has thrown for 963 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions this season. The senior has added 52 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Allar and the PSU passing attack have not looked the same this season after losing tight end Tyler Warren in the first round of April’s NFL draft.
Penn State can still turn the season around. They need to defeat Northwestern on Saturday and Iowa on Oct. 18 before playing two College Football Playoff contenders back-to-back to start November. PSU will travel to play No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 1 before hosting No. 7 Indiana on Nov. 8.
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