Fox's Joel Klatt: Penn State Is a 'Dangerous Team'
Joel Klatt, Fox Sports' lead college football analyst, dropped a kickoff hint this week for the Penn State-Michigan game in October, one that shouldn't be surprising.
Klatt will be in Ann Arbor with play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and reporter Jenny Taft for a game between potential top-10 opponents on Fox's Big Noon broadcast. Klatt called it a "mammoth game."
"Penn State's a dangerous team, and that's a quiet statement win for the Nittany Lions and James Franklin," Klatt said on his college football podcast.
Penn State (3-0) is earning national raves after its 41-12 win at Auburn that ended with Lions fans chanting "SEC!" at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde placed Penn State on his weekly playoff list, while Action Network's Brett McMurphy has the Lions in the Rose Bowl. Interestingly, both projections feature Penn State and USC.
Meanwhile, the cheeky folks at SEC Shorts brought charges against Penn State for its 29-point win at Auburn.
Klatt, who also called Penn State's season-opening win vs. Purdue, noticed a huge difference between that game and the Lions' win at Auburn. Namely, Nicholas Singleton.
Penn State Fixed Its Problem
Klatt said he left Purdue, where the Lions rushed for 107 yards, unsure whether the team had fixed its run-game issues of 2021. Having seen Singleton rush for 303 yards and four touchdowns the past two weeks, Klatt changed his mind.
"Those of use who did that [Purdue] game came away from that game thinking to ourselves, 'They haven't fixed their main issues,'" Klatt said on his podcast. "Well, Nick Singleton said hold my beer, and then he immediately rolled of two great performances.
"And now, guess what? Penn State has fixed their main issue."
Klatt added that last season, quarterback Sean Clifford got hurt, and the team struggled thereafter, because it had no run game.
"And now their offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, he's got a run game to lean on," Klatt said. "And that run game is named Nick Singleton. ... This is one of those rare moments where it's like, the guy that has to be the guy in his very first fall is the guy. Nick Singleton is a monster."
What the Run Game Means to Sean Clifford
Clifford led Penn State to a comeback win at Purdue, going 6-for-7 on a late-scoring series. He was nearly perfect when he had to be.
But with a run game to lean on, Clifford doesn't have to be perfect, Klatt said. And that means the world for Penn State's offense.
"They're fixing their issues up front, and guess what that's going to do? Take the pressure off of Sean Clifford," Klatt said. "... Now, Sean Clifford doesn't have to be perfect. This is the perfect scenario for Sean Clifford. He's type of quarterback that can be really good for you if you're not requiring him to be perfect."
A Few Steps Before Michigan
Though he didn't want to jump ahead, Klatt predicted that Penn State and Michigan would be unbeaten for their Oct. 15 meeting in Ann Arbor. Michigan has scheduled the game as its Maize Out. The teams could meet as unbeatens (through at least five games) for the first time since 1997.
Of course, the Lions must win upcoming home games against Central Michigan and Northwestern, while Michigan hosts Maryland before going on the road to Iowa and Indiana.
Until then, check out Klatt's podcast.
Read More
How to watch Eli Manning's Secret Penn State Tryout
Penn State's next road test: Michigan's Maize Out
First Look: Penn State vs. Central Michigan
Nicholas Singleton is setting a spectacular early pace
Why James Franklin isn't eager to make another road trip to the SEC
Penn State makes a big leap in the Week 4 polls
The Penn State-Auburn report card
Game breakdown: Penn State's defense throttles Auburn 41-12
Penn State proposes expanding alcohol sales at Beaver Stadium
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
