That was a championship-caliber performance. On Saturday night, playing in one of the most challenging road environments in the Big Ten, no. 3 Penn State faced a 10-7 halftime deficit.
The injury bug added to the challenges the Nittany Lions faced when the second half began. The injuries are something we will get into in further detail, but all it did was add to how gutsy of a victory it was for the Nittany Lions.
Let's dive into some takeaways from the 28-13 Nittany Lion victory.
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Penn State's College Football Playoff ticket *should* be punched
Sure, the Nittany Lions have a daunting task on deck when they welcome no. 4 Ohio State to Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon. That said, regardless of what happens in that game Penn State *should* have their ticket punched for the College Football Playoff.
The Nittany Lions are currently 7-0 and have already accumulated three quality conference wins. Win or lose against the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions will be heavy favorites in the four games that follow. Take care of business in those four games and Penn State will find themselves at 11-1, and there is zero chance an 11-1 Penn State is left out of a 12-team playoff.
Let's talk about injuries
This is a discussion that also ties into the playoff discussion. Penn State having some cushion in the 12-team playoff era certainly makes trying to navigate the injuries they suffered on Saturday night much easier to do.
Drew Allar was hurt on their final offensive possession of the first half and did not return, Anthony Donkoh was already out of the game as he continues to battle an upper body injury he suffered against USC, and Dani Dennis-Sutton essentially did not play in the second half. A.J. Harris also exited the game late, but all signs seem to indicate that Harris is fine.
With the Buckeyes looming, these injuries will be the biggest storyline of the week for the Nittany Lions. If Allar and Dennis-Sutton play, then Penn State has a big advantage at quarterback, as well as their defensive ends against Ohio State's offensive tackles. Not having Donkoh as Penn State tries to block J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer would be less than optimal.
Again, injuries will be the biggest storyline of the week for Penn State.
Penn State continues to pass the adversity test with flying colors
For a second consecutive game, the Nittany Lions faced major adversity in a Big Ten road game. To their credit, for the second time in as many games the Nittany Lions faced the adversity head on and passed the test with flying colors.
It was different from the adversity they faced at USC. Instead of facing a two score halftime deficit while battling an opposing offense that was humming, the Nittany Lions only trailed by a field goal and their defense had been very good. However, much of the adversity was created by the injuries.
Despite these injuries and a sluggish start to the half offensively, Penn State would dominate the second half. Beau Pribula got into a rhythm and was 9/11 throwing the ball including a touchdown pass to Kahlil Dinkins. Kaytron Allen had a monster second half, which included a game clinching 24-yard touchdown run on a beautifully designed direct snap play by Andy Kotelnicki, on his way to averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
After putting together a strong first half, Tom Allen's defense completely dominated the second half. The Badgers were held to just 3 points and had just 54 yards of total offense before gaining 68 yards in what was essentially garbage time on their final drive. The dominate defensive second half was spearheaded by Jaylen Reed's pick-6 in the 3rd quarter to give Penn State a lead they would not relinquish. Reed continues to play at an All-American level for the Nittany Lion defense.
Much like the USC game, this feels like a game that past installments of James Franklin's Nittany Lions would not have won.
Penn State's defensive line had a hell of a night
It was pretty clear from the first series of the game that Wisconsin's offensive line was in serious trouble when it came to pass protection. As the game progressed, it became clear things would not be much better in run blocking. Why? Because, as a unit, Penn State's defensive line had arguably their best game of the season.
Alonzo Ford Jr. had the best game of his Nittany Lion career, picking up a pair of tackles for a loss while consistently providing pressure and being disruptive. Zane Durant continued his strong season with another disruptive game, the same can be said about Abdul Carter. Dvon J-Thomas and Smith Vilbert both played their strongest games of the season and Amin Vanover flashed a few times, too.
It was a group effort from Penn State's defensive line, especially following the Dennis-Sutton injury, and each member of the group seemed to step up in one way or another.
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