Penn State hasn’t won a national title since the Reagan Administration but has had plenty of contenders since then.
The closest call came in 1994, when Penn State went undefeated but, due to the BCS being a few year away and the Big Ten champion being locked into the Rose Bowl, No. 2 Penn State didn’t get a chance to play No. 1 Nebraska, which ended up beating No. 3 Miami to win the Orange Bowl and national title.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of than 1994 season Penn State honored that team last month during its win over Illinois
Like it was in 1994, Penn State has a team that ranks among America’s best. PSU is 6-0 and ranked third, with the most recent one being a thriller at No. 3 USC. Penn State’s record and ranking suggest that this team could go all the way. But because the program hasn’t done so in a while, many are skeptical.
For one national analyst, Penn State is, indeed, a threat to win the whole thing.
“Many will disagree with this,” wrote Mike “The Godfather of Recruiting” Farrell of MikeFarrellSports.com. “Penn State has a good running game, a solid offensive line and an above average defense. And their quarterback, Drew Allar is starting to show signs of being special. They lack elite wide receivers and Tyler Warren has to be figured out by opposing defenses soon (or does he?) so I worry the passing game might not be dynamic enough in a shootout. But this team has the pieces.”
There’s a good argument to be made that Penn State has the best running back duo in America. Nick Singleton (434 yards, three touchdowns, 6.9 YPC) and Kaytron Allen (423 yards, three touchdown, 4.7 YPC) have been productive for two and a half seasons now and don’t figure to be slowing down anytime soon.
For Penn State RB coach Ja’Juan Seider, consistency has been key to this success.
“You watch over almost two-and-a-half years, the two most consistent guys that’s playing together,” Seider said earlier this month. “It’s hard to say hey, when you substitute a guy in … there’s no drop-off. And like, pick your poison.”
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