Will Penn State rise in the top 25 today?: Newsstand
Penn State updates for Sept. 3 include notes from James Franklin’s latest news conference, top 25 projections, and more. It’s time to dive into Tuesday’s top stories about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
Week 1 of the college football season is over. That means the first AP top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll of the regular season comes out today. Penn State was Nos. 8 and 9, respectively, in both outlet’s preseason rankings. Will they rise after beating West Virginia 34-12 in Morgantown? Chip Patterson of CBS Sports thinks it is possible.
“While No. 8 Penn State does not have a lot of room for upward movement, the Nittany Lions put together a performance that should change the minds of those voters on the lower end of their ranking range,” he writes. “Other teams in the top 10 won handily against lesser competition, but Penn State traveled to West Virginia, endured a weather delay and never trailed in a 34-12 win against the Mountaineers. Penn State was expected to win in the eyes of the oddsmakers, but not in such a lopsided manner. The defense was dominant and QB Drew Allar totaled three touchdowns in the debut for a reworked offense. Penn State might not be able to crack the top five, but that conversation will begin after this win.”
On3’s Ari Wasserman, meanwhile, has the Nittany Lions at No. 7.
“Heading into the season, I was buying the West Virginia hype,” Wasserman writes. “Then Penn State rolled into Morgantown and beat the breaks off the Mountaineers. Quarterback Drew Allar seemed to take a step forward and the Nittany Lions made a huge hire in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has the team looking more explosive on that side of the ball in the early stages of the year. The Nittany Lions also have one of the best defensive players in the country in Abdul Carter, so this team could be built to shock some people this year.”
Headlines of the day
3 takeaways from Penn State coach James Franklin’s first news conference of Bowling Green week: Pickel, BWI
James Franklin assesses WR Julian Fleming’s Penn State debut vs. West Virginia: McGonigal, PennLive
Penn State has confidence in kicker Sander Sahaydak entering Week 2 after Week 1 miss: Pickel, BWI
The Most Interesting Stats From Penn State’s Win Over West Virginia: Wogenrich, SI
Penn State cornerback target Jase Rhodes shares visit plans for upcoming season: Snyder, BWI
For the Next 40 Days, It’s Home Cooking and Non-Conference Cupcakes for a Hungry Penn State Football Team: Poorman, Statecollege.com
Quote of the day
“I know he’s extremely hungry this year with as much time as he’s invested to really help this team as much as he possibly can, help the defense as much as he can, and obviously also to have a big year for himself and for his family. So, think you guys are going to continue to be talking about him a lot this year. I think there’ll be a lot of conversations about him on a national scale as well.
“Those guys are hard to find. Guys that have a chance to be physical against the run, but can also be disruptive as pass rushers. His length is an issue for people. I’m really proud of my think he’s going to have a big year.”
–PSU coach James Franklin on veteran Nittany Lions defensive end Smith Vilbert.
