Previewing PSU's October checklist: Big games, bye week recruiting, more

Welcome to October, Penn State fans!

Fall is in the air, leaves are changing colors, and temperatures are dropping, but the Nittany Lions' are on a hot streak ahead of a stretch that features three more games, two of which are expected to be against ranked opponents, and a bye week that won't exactly offer rest for anyone weary at the season's midway point.

What's on PSU's checklist this month? Let's take a look.

Let's start with the obvious one.

Three contests remain on the docket this month after the win over Indiana kicked things off (all times eastern):

10/9: at Iowa (4 p.m., FOX)

10/23: vs. Illinois (Noon, TV TBD)

Oct. 30: at Ohio State (Time, TV TBD)

There's also a bye week in there between Illinois and Iowa, and we'll discuss that more later, but these are the kinds of contests that teams and fans live for in the middle month of the regular season.

The Nittany Lions will be favored in at least two of these matchups (Illinois) while time is needed to determine whether or not they'll be an underdog in either road matchup. Regardless, the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes enter the month at No. 5 and No. 11, respectively, in the AP top-25, and both will be fascinating matchups to watch.

Some will call it make or break time for James Franklin's team and others will say it might not be time for that yet, but either way, we're going to know much more about the program's College Football Playoff hopes in 30 days than we do now, despite the perfect start.

Penn State must find answers to the following roster queries and operational issues before November:

1. Can the run game improve enough to put away teams on the road and at home, especially in the final minutes of a close game, regardless of where it is? Or, will the team's sometimes one-dimensional ways ultimately lead to the season's first loss?

2. Will Sean Clifford keep performing as one of the nation's best quarterbacks? While his Heisman Trophy campaign isn't receiving much push yet, the Nittany Lions passer will be near the top of the odds board if Penn State finishes this slate of games still undefeated.

3. Arnold Ebiketie, Jesse Luketa, and Nick Tarburton are playing a lot of quality snaps, but it was no surprise that Brent Pry said someone else needs to join them in that regard at defensive end on the final day of September. Who could it be, and how long will it take for that player to emerge?

4. It's fair to say that the field goal kicking game is not exactly an area of strong confidence for PSU right now. Jordan Stout has been the do-every specialist for the Nittany Lions, and while his kickoffs and punting have been fantastic, he's made just six of nine field goals. It was nice to see him drill a 50-yarder against the Hoosiers, but consistency will always be the key here.

Did you know that, before the Big Ten changed its 2021 slate earlier this year, this was scheduled to be the Nittany Lions' bye week?

Instead, the open date was shuffled back a couple of weekends, which really isn't the end of the world and actually might be a boon for the team as it falls after six regular season games and with six more to go.

We know that Penn State will use a week without an opponent to self-scout, heal and rest up, get younger players loads of practice reps, and assess any areas of weakness that were put on film between September and mid-October. They'll also do recruiting, and lots of it, between the time they return from Iowa and before hosting Illinois.

Most of the prospect hunting work will take place during the week of Oct. 10. Expect assistant coaches to hit the road almost immediately, and Franklin will be out and about too as the collective group will see commits and targets and seniors and underclassmen alike while traversing the country to solidify a highly-regarded Class of 2022 while laying the foundation for future classes that could be viewed, and ranked, similarly.

More: Will PSU get a 2023 commit in October? Omari Evans outlook: Roundtable

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