The new season of Big Ten Football starts this weekend. One team coming back to the field this weekend is the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions are one of the top teams not only in the Big Ten but in the country coming into this season.
Key returning starters coming back this season include quarterback Sean Clifford, tight end Pat Freiermuth, running backs Noah Cain and Devyn Ford, wide receiver Jahan Dotson, defensive lineman Shaka Toney, safety Lamont Wade, and linebacker Jesse Luketa. One of the top players in the country, Micah Parsons, opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft. Parsons finished his Penn State career with 191 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles in two seasons. Another player who is in jeopardy of not playing this season is a top running back in the country Journey Brown. Journey Brown has a medical condition that could cost him his season. Brown had a wonderful 2019 season with 890 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions open up the season tomorrow at Indiana. The next week, the Ohio State Buckeyes will come to Happy Valley for what would have been a whiteout game. The game against the Buckeyes will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Halloween night. The College Gameday crew will also travel to State College for the game.
The rest of the Nittany Lions schedule is not easy with games against Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Rutgers, and Michigan State. No team in the Big Ten has an easy schedule with the conference being one of the best in the country. The front runner coming into the season is Ohio State, but if Penn State can put up a game or beat the Buckeyes the Nittany Lions will be in for a successful season.
The Nittany Lions hope to have a successful season under the lead of head coach, James Franklin. Coach Franklin has had a lot of success with Penn State, recording a 42-11 record over the past four seasons. Franklin is looking to lead the Nittany Lions to even more success with a berth in the Big Ten Championship and maybe the College Football Playoff. Penn State has been just one or two wins away from the playoffs in the past four years.
The Big Ten will be an interesting and exciting season for fans. The Big Ten always has plenty of action and defense. A lot of NFL talent comes from the Big Ten, and this year will be no different.
Penn State will travel to Bloomington to take in the Indiana Hoosiers tomorrow. The game will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. Eastern and be televised on Fox Sports 1.