Penn State 'looks for real' after Wisconsin win, Lions face major uncertainty before Ohio State: What they're saying

Madison, Wisc. — Penn State used a 21-3 second half run to avoid being upset at Camp Randall Stadium by beating Wisconsin 28-13 in front of a sold-out crowd. It was hardly the Lions’ prettiest win in a season full of victories but not always fulfilling ones. This game was different than some of the ones before it, of course. Head coach James Franklin’s team had to overcome the loss of starting quarterback Drew Allar, first-team defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and right tackle Anthony Donkoh to grind out its seventh triumph of the year.

“A couple things to jump out to me right away, just a gutsy win on the road against a team that’s really trending in a real positive direction, tough environment to play in,” Franklin said. “Just a gutsy win. You lose your starting quarterback, you lose your starting d-end, you lose your start in the offensive tackle. Next man up. No excuses. I just thought it was a gutsy, culture win, from my perspective, I also thought it was, you look at Beau Pribula; the other thing that stood out to me isand unselfish team and unselfish players. Here’s Beau Pribula in a quarterback battle, waiting for his number to be called, and when his numbers called, is able to capitalize and take advantage of it.”

Here’s what is being said locally and nationally about the Lions on Sunday.

Penn State ‘looks for real’

That’s the take from On3 national college football writer Ari Wasserman. He moved the Nittany Lions up to No. 4 in his weekly top 10 poll.

“After a third quarter pick-six turned the game, Pribula and Penn State’s offense added two more scores to turn the game into an easy 28-13 win,” Wasserman writes. “Penn State looks for real, even though it lost Allar and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. It has a chance to prove it next weekend when it hosts Ohio State.”

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The Lions face major uncertainty before their biggest game to date

USA Today Matt Hayes started his weekly recap with this obvious angle. Allar’s health will be squarely in the spotlight this week. Beau Pribula will start if the Ohio native cannot, of course. Either way, Penn State finds itself in a less-than-ideal situation ahead of the top-five showdown.

“At some point Pribula will have to make plays in the passing game,” Hayes writes. “That means new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, the heralded addition this offseason from Kansas, will have a week to find what works for Pribula — and how to attack an Ohio State defense giving up 12.7 points per game.

“Even if Allar is available, he most certainly will be limited. He wasn’t held out of the second half as precaution; the Lions were trailing 10-7. Kotelnicki will have to get either quarterback (or both) ready to play against a top 10 pass defense giving up 172 yards per game. The Buckeyes held Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola to 152 yards passing in a 21-17 win Saturday, with no touchdowns and an interception.”

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The Lions are looking forward to their chance to prove they can beat the Buckeyes

That’s what PennLive reporter Johnny McGonigal discovered during postgame interviews. Everyone knows the program’s recent history opposite Ohio State. The 2024 version of the Nittany Lions aim to add a new, more positive chapter to that storybook next weekend.

“Some might argue the stakes aren’t as high this time around,” McGonigal writes. “With the 12-team College Football Playoff, the Nittany Lions could hypothetically lose to Ohio State, win out and still make the field and compete for a national title. Maybe that reality will subconsciously allow Penn State to play looser, to feel as though the entire season isn’t riding on one afternoon.

“But that’s not how these players will be thinking going into next weekend. This is a battle-tested group that fought its way to an undefeated record, and they don’t want to give it up. … This time next Saturday, we’ll know if the Nittany Lions were ready for it or not.”

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Is momentum a real thing?

BWI’s Nate Bauer latched onto something James Franklin said in his postgame news conference. He said that Jaylen Reed’s third quarter pick six changed the momentum in the game. He added that “momentum is a real thing.” Will that apply to the Lions’ meeting with Ohio State? Time will tell.

“Set to take on the Buckeyes in one of the season’s most anticipated games, dating back to last summer, the Nittany Lions enter November with everything in front of them,” Bauer writes. “An expanded playoff changes the complexion of the game’s outcome. 

“A win propels Penn State into a legitimate conversation as one of the country’s best teams this season. And, a loss doesn’t eliminate that possibility. Can the Nittany Lions channel their grittiest survival instincts into one of opportunism? They’ll be tasked with doing as much in the coming days.”