The Biggest Storylines to Watch at Penn State This Season
In 2005, former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson left Chicago and the Big Ten media days feeling salty. He firmly believed that the Lions could contend for a conference title despite the lingering shadow of a 4-7 season that included six consecutive losses.
Robinson was right, leading the Lions to the 2005 Big Ten championship, an Orange Bowl victory over Florida State and a measure of redemption. Current Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson and his teammates shared a similar energy in July at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten media days.
"Knowing that we were truly one of the worst teams in Penn State history, we play with that chip on our shoulder, we work out with that chip on our shoulder every single day," Dotson said in Indianapolis.
Is that enough to deliver Penn State another measure of redemption? It's an important storyline. Here are five more key storylines of Penn State's 2021 football season.
Can Mike Yurcich turn around Sean Clifford's career?
Clifford, Penn State's third-year starter, has been quite open about the challenges and opportunities of playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in five years. The whiplash is real, but Clifford has taken a positive approach, saying he has extracted something from each coordinator with whom he has worked.
"I'm just really excited to have this fresh start with this team," Clifford said. ... "This is one of my favorite teams that I've been a part of, and it's really exciting to come in and lead every day because everybody's willing to listen, and everybody's willing to be here and everybody wants to be here."
Coordinator Mike Yurcich and Clifford seem to have developed a rapport through their first seven months together. Yurcich doesn't sugarcoat the need for Clifford to improve: "Give him difficult looks, allow him to fail and figure it out, and then continue to build his confidence up," Yurcich said. "I think that’s the process of learning."
And Clifford has said he feels "like a new player" under Yurcich, one in command of an offense that suits him. Clifford certainly needs to show it first: He has to be more accurate, demonstrate more pocket awareness and better understand when to run. If he leads the Lions in rushing attempts again, something's wrong.
But, like Robinson in 2005, Clifford is confident in himself and his offense. Robinson didn't have the starting experience, which certainly benefits Clifford. He also didn't have the scars associated with that experience.
Yurcich has a pedigree whispering to quarterbacks. Mason Rudolph threw for more than 13,600 yards and 92 touchdowns under Yurcich at Oklahoma State. Prolific numbers don't necessarily translate to winning but they can't hurt. Even if Clifford merely cuts his turnovers and marginally increases his completion percentage, Yurcich can claim success.
Was 2020 an outlier for Penn State's defense?
The numbers were disarming: Penn State allowed an average of 27.7 points per game, gave up 30 five straight times, missed more than 40 tackles and dropped four interceptions (according to Sports Info Solutions). The disruptions of 2020 were tangible, but Penn State's defense responded erratically, particularly during the first five games.
Coordinator Brent Pry, in his eighth season alongside head coach James Franklin, looked for an offseason reset switch as well. He stressed accountability, sought improved strength and speed metrics from his players and made some vital personnel moves.
Brandon Smith switched linebacker positions, linebacker Jesse Luketa is playing defensive end and cornerback Keaton Ellis moved to safety. Everyone made a commitment to playing within the defensive framework, remaining in position and blunting their instincts to freelance.
For the most part, Pry's defenses have been strong. He gets a pardon for 2020, but that likely won't extend into 2021.
Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith is a player to watch in 2021. (Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports)
Can Jahan Dotson be the Big Ten's most productive receiver?
Dotson led the Big Ten in receiving yards and, importantly, yards after catch last season, underscoring his twin-threat abilities. Dotson was a playmaker in making acrobatic catches (vs. Ohio Starte) and in turning mundane receptions into big touchdowns (vs. Illinois).
Yet Dotson still manages to get overlooked in the Big Ten, particularly alongside receivers such as Ohio State's Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. Perhaps it's his size (5-11, 184). Or maybe it's the perception that he's not a burner, though Dotson reportedly was timed at 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash this offseason.
Having considered leaving for the NFL, Dotson returned with teammates Jaquan Brisker, Tariq Castro-Fields and Rasheed Walker carrying a purpose. In Yurcich's offense, and as a receiver who finds ways to get open, Dotson could produce a statistical season to remember.
Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson (Matthew O'Haren./USA Today Sports)
How will Penn State handle the schedule's first half?
The Lions' 2021 schedule is decidedly front-loaded. The first half includes home games against Ball State, Auburn and Indiana and trips to Wisconsin and Iowa. If they don't pull things together quickly, the Lions could be out of Big Ten contention before their Oct. 30 visit to Ohio State.
For a team that unraveled early last year, the prospect of repeating the meltdown can't be ignored. What happens if Penn State loses at Wisconsin and then has to face defending MAC champion in its home opener? Ball State's 20 returning starters will be vibrating at the upset prospect.
Is James Franklin a different coach this year?
Last season weighed on Frankin, personally and professionally. In November, he described the difficulty he had coaching through a pandemic and without his family, who lived elsewhere for most of the year.
"One of the things I have not done a great job of handling personally, that I have to be honest with myself and honest with the team about, is I have not done a great job of managing my family being gone. I have not," Franklin said last year. "They're my fuel. I go home, they're able to pour into me, and I've not done a great job of that. At the end of the day, I have to. I have to manage those things."
Now, Franklin's family is home, and his daughters, Shola and Addison, have resumed their daily visits to the football office and to practice. Following a recent practice, Franklin and Shola walked off the Beaver Stadium field arm in arm, Shola taking photos of them along the way.
"Walking over here [to Beaver Stadium], she's been talking about how she just loves being back around the program," Franklin said. "... It's been great to have them around for me, and it's been great for the guys in our program s well."
Franklin sounds rejuvenated, upbeat and motivated, far more than he did in 2020. He also has his "fuel" back. The effect of that shouldn't be underestimated.
James Franklin with his family in 2018 (Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports)
