Kirk Herbstreit dicsusses concerns for Penn State, Drew Allar vs. Ohio State defense

Ahead of a massive Big Ten East showdown in Columbus at noon on Saturday, ESPN college football analyst and former Buckeye quarterback Kirk Herbstreit shared he has a few concerns about the Penn State offense going against Ohio State. And it starts with the quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

Herbstreit has been impressed with the play of Drew Allar so far, but is worried a lack of mobility — coupled with an impotent downfield passing game — could slow the Penn State offense. Absent a breakthrough performance from a wideout, Herbstreit isn’t sold that the Penn State offense will find success in the Horseshoe.

“I do think Allar is going to have to start fast. I was just in there watching a lot of the film from this year, what he’s done. He’s dinking and dunking almost every game. Very rarely — and I don’t know if they have a receiver that can get down field and beat Ohio State in this game. If I were a Penn State fan, the biggest concern I would have is two things: Can they get the ball stretched downfield to try to open up their running game, take pressure off of Drew Allar? Second thing is: He can’t move,” Herbstreit said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show.

He highlighted that the past two Penn State starters, Sean Clifford and Trace McSorley, were both solid to good as runners, at least capable of punishing a defense for not respecting the quarterback run and occasionally pulling the ball on some designed keepers.

“That’s not a strength of his and Clifford over the past two or three years and Trace McSorley before that, that was a huge element in what they did was when things would break down, that quarterback always was that threat. I don’t think they have that now,” Herbstreit said.

And while the Penn State offense has chugged along with plenty of success, the lack of explosion raises red flags for Herbstreit. Penn State has played a solid defense against Iowa, but the Hawkeyes offense is impotent to the point that the Nittany Lions were never in danger of losing.

Ohio State, on the other hand, has a very stout defense and an offense that should at least find the end zone against Penn State. And with that the case, Herbstreit will be waiting and watching to see if Allar and the Penn State pass catchers can start to work downfield more and not let the first-year starter become a sitting duck in the pocket.

“So if you can’t throw downfield and you don’t have a quarterback who is mobile and you’re on the road against that defense, that’s a dangerous combination for the Penn State offense. They’re going to have to find somebody who’s going to win downfield in this game,” Herbstreit said.