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Penn State holds 'edge' in crowded Big Ten: Gerry DiNardo

nate-mug-10.12.14by:Nate Bauer•07/27/23•

NateBauerBWI

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(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Six seasons have passed since Penn State won the Big Ten, topping Wisconsin in Indianapolis to claim the conference crown. In the time since then, only two programs have emerged with the title.

Ohio State won every season from 2017 until 2020. And, Michigan has dethroned the Buckeyes with its back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. 

Coming out of Big Ten media days this week in Indianapolis, the broader sentiment is very much for that status quo to remain. Michigan has again been picked to win the East. And, in a poll of the media, that played out with the Wolverines emerging as a heavy favorite to claim the title. 

After a brief discussion on the BTN’s set Thursday, host Dave Revsine and analyst Gerry DiNardo agree that Penn State will very much be a part of that conversation this season.

“So many people are talking about it in terms of Michigan or Ohio State, and if you don’t throw Penn State into that equation, you’re not paying attention,” Revsine said. “No doubt.”

Penn State ‘edge’ in Big Ten

DiNardo, the former head coach with stops at Vanderbilt, LSU, and Indiana, and a television studio college football analyst for the past 19 seasons, took the idea a step further. 

Acknowledging that the conference media ecosystem has again settled on Michigan as holding onto a prime opportunity to extend its conference title streak to three straight, DiNardo pointed to Penn State as positioned to unseat the Wolverines from that perch.

“I personally think Penn State has the edge,” DiNardo said. “If Penn State looks like I think it’s going to look like when we’re on campus, I think they’re going to be the favorite to win the East.”

His reasoning for Penn State’s potential was based on three factors. Internally, the Nittany Lions have the personnel to be able to take a step offensively. That’s even with a new quarterback taking the helm in Drew Allar. 

Challenges among the big three

But, externally, both Ohio State and Michigan have unresolved questions that are giving him pause. 

For the Buckeyes, a first-time starting quarterback must play well. Combined with an offensive line that isn’t predicted to be among the better units in the Big Ten, and a defense that has struggled to create big plays, DiNardo sees the potential for more problems at Ohio State this season than either Michigan or Penn State.

Michigan, meanwhile, has to grapple with the difficulty of repeating success. With a third now projected for the Wolverines before a game has even been played, DiNardo expressed some misgivings.

“The one thing about Michigan is, it’s not complacency, but they’ve had so much success. There has to be some automatic pilot,” DiNardo said. “I mean, all coaches deal with this. When you start talking about winning three Big Ten championships in a row, it’s got to be something to the mental game, which they haven’t addressed yet. I think that’s a challenge for them.”

Again playing both teams this season, Penn State meets Ohio State first in an Oct. 21 matchup at Ohio Stadium. The Nittany Lions then get Michigan for a Nov. 11 noon tilt at Beaver Stadium.

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