Indianapolis -- Penn State great and four-time Super Bowl champ Matt Millen is back for another season of color commentary for the Big Ten Network.
Millen was at Lucas Oil Stadium this week for Big Ten Media Days, and before he left town, Blue-White Illustrated caught up with him to get his thoughts on the Nittany Lions before the 2021 season in addition to a Big Ten preview, a neat Beaver Stadium perspective, and more.
Our Q&A is below, as is a video of the conversation.
BWI: Let's start with this. How are you doing? You're here in Indianapolis at Big Ten Media Days. How are things going?
Matt Millen: "Good. All of the medical parts have been fine. The tickers still kicking. So, so far, so good.
BWI: What is your outlook for the 2021 season?
MM: "To me, it's pretty simple., I think James actually talked about it a little bit yesterday: Confidence. In this league., and in sports in general, the higher you go up the body, can win physically, when you're in Little League and in high school stuff, but you get the college, you start to have to use your brain a little bit more, you get the NFL, you got to be dead on. And from the neck up, if you don't have the confidence to know that you can do it., if you doubt yourself a little bit, it's hard to succeed, really. So what I saw last year in the beginning, they took a hit with their confidence, but once they got that first win, it kind of took off. So, my expectations are, I have high expectations. It's a good staff, there are good players there, they'll have great opportunities, so it'll be up to them. and I just think I'm looking forward to a lot of wins this year."
More: Extra Big Ten Media Day thoughts, DDS to PSU, more: Friday's 5th Quarter
BWI: What's the vibe you're getting from around the conference?
MM: "Well, here's what I think, I think the Big Ten has done a great job of increasing talent from the coaching side. Greg Schiano out coming back in, at Purdue, Jeff's [Brohm] done a phenomenal job. Tom Allen at Indiana. There's some really, really good coaches, and you get the coaches, you get the proper guys in the right spots, and they have to recruit, you're going to have great football. I think the conference is in great shape."
BWI: In terms of the film you watch, who are some guys at Penn State you want to see more of this year?
MM: "Well, they have some young kids coming in, pass rushers, which they're going to need because they lost some. The offensive line is always the place they should have to check. You can see there's some kids who have some potential, but if I had to pick one, it would be the outside 'backer [Brandon Smith.] I think that kid's a stud. I said that from the time he showed up. He flashes. I would love to see him be more consistent because I think he's capable, and I think he'll do that.
BWI: In terms of Sean Clifford, what do you see from him last year that gives you positive feelings going into this year? What did you see as areas where, if he does that over a 12 game season, Penn State can be better than it was last year?
MM: "So to me, the quarterback spot, you have to know what you have in that spot. So, he's not a runner, but he can move. For him, to me, it's accuracy, so he just needs to be accurate with his balls, whether he's playing the short game or he's pushing the ball down the field to Dotson, that's what he's got to be able to do. Can he do that? Yeah, I think the last few games he showed that, but his strength is not with his feet, although he can do that.
More: PSU podcast: Dani Dennis-Sutton picks the Lions; Big Ten Media Day 1 recap
BWI: If you had NIL in your day, what would you want to have signed a with?
MM: "Probably a porta potty company or something. That'd be good, that would fit my style. Bruce Clark would have probably have had all the other stuff, so I would have been down to being the number one guy in the number two business.
BWI: Last one, what do you think a full Beaver stadium will mean, not just the team but to the fan base?
MM: "Yeah, that's huge. The one thing you can't, I'll never forget this, this is before Beaver Stadium was Beaver Stadium the way it is now, I think we had like 55,000 people or something, so probably half of what it is, and we played Ohio State, my third game my freshman year, and you could start to feel the electricity when we drove onto campus on the team bus, and it was something I never forgot. I kind of measured every game after that to that spot, including Super Bowls, and so when you get in that bus, and you're driving, and you can feel the electricity, you could feel the energy before you ever even get to the place, that's something you just feed off of it. I think the crowd understands it, and I know the players get it because when it's dead, it's hard to feed off nothing. I think it's a win-win for the fans and the players."
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