Penn State’s new-look offense is encouraging sign for CFP hopes

Penn State and head coach James Franklin are still looking to break through into the College Football Playoff, and it was pretty clear what they needed to fix coming into the 2024 season to finally get there.

Their offense.

Specifically, they needed to capitalize on quarterback Drew Allar’s natural ability and big arm and fix what was one of the least explosive passing games in the entire country in 2023.

They took a big step toward that by bringing in one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football by hiring Andy Kotelnicki to be their new offensive coordinator. 

If their 34-12 Week 1 win over West Virginia on Saturday is any indication, they definitely seem to be on the right track.

Penn State’s offense looked like it was capable of doing anything it wanted all day, while Allar himself looked like a completely different passer. While his 2023 stat line was impressive in terms of touchdowns (25) and protecting the football (only two interceptions), the Nittany Lions almost never asked him or let him take chances downfield. They were near the bottom of the country in terms of downfield passes, and the offensive limitations really held them back against elite competition and kept them out of the playoff discussion.

Allar only completed 11 out of 17 passes on the day, but those 11 completions accounted for 216 yards and three touchdowns. 

That is over 12 yards per completion, a number that he topped just four times in a game during the 2023 season. 

Penn State has an elite defense and outstanding skill position players all over the offense. If it can take advantage of Allar’s physical tools and open the downfield passing game it might give it a chance to beat the Ohio States and Michigans of the conference. That is the only hurdle the Nittany Lions have to clear to get their playoff spot. 

This might have only been one game against a run-of-the-mill team with an average defense, but it was still an encouraging start. Not just in terms of the results, but also the process behind that result.