Penn State's Pros and Cons of a Quarterback Change
Penn State doesn't have a quarterback controversy. It faces a quarterback decision. And neither choice should be controversial.
Following his team's 44-31 loss to Ohio State, Penn State coach James Franklin assigned the primary blame on four turnovers. Quarterback Sean Clifford was the link to all four. He threw three interceptions and lost a fumble via a strip-sack by Ohio State's J.T. Tuimoloau.
Clifford also threw three touchdown passes, led Penn State on its most astonishing touchdown drive of the season and gave the team a second-half chance. He is game and gritty and never quits, leading the offense to a late touchdown with two backup tackles, but has reached his ceiling.
Meanwhile, freshman Drew Allar stands on the sideline, cheering on Clifford, taking those "mental reps" players always mention and waiting until Beaver Stadium is his. He represents a tantalizing ceiling whose height is untapped.
So how should Franklin handle his quarterback situation with five games remaining? Not how will he; Franklin most likely will start Clifford when the Lions visit Indiana on Saturday. But how should Penn State approach playing to win vs. playing for the future? And are those concepts mutually exclusive?
Pros-and-cons lists often help. So let's assess the pros and cons of making a quarterback change this week at Penn State.
Pro: The Schedule Is Favorable
the loss to Ohio State changed Penn State's season. It's in no way over, but the Lions essentially have been eliminated from Big Ten East contention. However, they have four winnable games remaining, beginning with a visit to Indiana's Memorial Stadium, one of the softest road venues in the Big Ten.
This is a perfect runway for Allar either to start or play more meaningful reps. Three of the Lions' last four opponents (Indiana, Rutgers and Michigan State) have losing records.
Add Maryland and all four of Penn State's remaining opponents rank in the Big Ten's bottom half in scoring defense. Indiana is last, allowing 30.6 points per game. Even Maryland, which is 6-2 and visits Beaver Stadium on Nov. 12, has the Big Ten's 13th-ranked pass defense. These are teams tailor-made for test-driving Allar.
Con: What About Winning 10 Games?
Playing for the future is a professional sports conceit. College coaches build their rosters through recruiting, and teams recruit more successfully when they win.
If Franklin believes, and have actionable data to back, that Clifford provides their best chance to win 10 games, then Clifford should start and play most of the reps. Ten-win seasons matter — and will matter more in the 12-team playoff.
Pro: Drew Allar Begins His Transition
Few college programs have, or take, the opportunity to play their backup quarterbacks outside injury or fourth-quarter clock-running. Coaches haven't built that into their operating systems.
But Penn State has five games to show Allar how Big Ten football works. He at least could play meaningful snaps with the first-team offense. Allar would get looks at two road venues, as non-threatening as they might be, and would make the burned freshman redshirt worthwhile. He’s also less likely to explore the transfer portal, an unlikelihood but a consideration Franklin has noted frankly nonetheless.
Con: The Unknown
Penn State knows what it has in Clifford. The quarterback has started 41 games, played more than 2,000 snaps and thrown more than 1,200 career passes. He represents a known value who makes big plays and mistakes but starts every game from the same prepared floor.
Meanwhile, Allar's game-readiness, particularly as a starter, is unknown, and coaches loathe the unknown. And there's more unknown on Penn State's offensive line, which finished Saturday's game against Ohio State down three starters (left tackle Olu Fashanu left the game during the final offensive series). An uncertain line situation will contribute to the quarterback decision.
Moreover, though, Franklin has countless hours of practice footage of Clifford and Allar and still has chosen Clifford. There are reasons.
Pro: Sean Clifford's Still Here
If Allar starts and stumbles, Franklin has the nation's most-experienced backup. Clifford might seethe inside about being replaced but won't allow that to hinder his preparation.
Con: Penn State's History of Developing Five-Star Quarterbacks
This has little to do with Franklin but is noteworthy nonetheless. Allar is the third 5-star quarterback Penn State has signed since 2004, according to 247Sports. The others were Anthony Morelli (2004) and Christian Hackenberg (2013).
Both had fair-to-good careers but didn't reach their 5-star potential, though Hackenberg did convince the New York Jets he was a second-round pick. Allar's future belongs to Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who must harness recruiting potential into the kind of quarterback Penn State needs to become a playoff contender.
Franklin shouldn't, and won't, make quarterback decisions based on his starter's legacy or his fan base's appetite for change. But in this moment, the Penn State coach has the rare chance to address the present and future at a position that rarely sees change.
It's disrespectful not to acknowledge what Clifford has done for Penn State. It's not disrespectful to consider whether Allar could win games both now and next season.
If Franklin believes Allar offers even a similar opportunity to win at Indiana, he should start, or at least play, the freshman in November.
PENN STATE FANS: SI Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets to a variety of Penn State sporting events, from football to basketball, hockey to volleyball. Need tickets to the Penn State game? Check out SI Tickets.
Read More
James Franklin predicted the Michigan-Michigan State incident
The Penn State-Ohio State report card
For Penn State, this one's a 'heartbreaker'
Ohio State 44, Penn State 31: How it unraveled
Penn State AD calls 2023 Big Ten football schedule 'incredibly frustrating and disappointing'
How Penn State's Mike Yurcich helped Ohio State land CJ Stroud
Michigan's Jim Harbaugh blames Penn State for 'sophomoric' tunnel ploy
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.
