Penn State Preview 2014

[Coach]

What do you expect? Who will start in key spots? Game of the year? Most important guy you haven't heard of yet?

You guys know how previews go! I want to do some reading without buying a magazine. I look forward to what you guys have to say!

[KirkHerbstreit]

I think this will be the year the sanctions really catch up with Penn State. Bill O'brien left PSU, because he always wanted to be an NFL head coach and the opportunity was there, but he also knew last year was his pinnacle for some time. There will be a lot of holes on the team at key positions.

QB - Penn State is really set at QB for this year and beyond. Hackenberg, O'connor, Mcsorely with be the top 3. Wimbush(if he holds his committment) is on the way. Hackenberg can make all the throws, but will he have time to make them or how quickly will he get injured due to the Oline with no depth.

RB - Belton, Zwinak, Lynch, Thomas, Scott, Allen. Another Position with a lot of talent, but how good is that talent if the line does not open up holes. I expect Belton to start and some true freshman to get some carries as well. 3 4star backs on the way in the next 2 classes

WR - This position is young and inexperienced this year. The loss of Alan Robinson will hurt, but there is a lot of talent coming in. It's a matter of how quickly the talent grows up. Geno Lewis will be one starter. Matt Zanellato will probably start at the other WR spot until the young kids are ready. Dashean Hamilton is getting rave reviews he is a redshirt Fr. Incoming Freshman, Chris Godwin, Saeed Blacknall, Troy Apke, and Deandre Thompkins will all probably see time. Next years WR class will be just as good. Juwan Johnson, Irving Charles, and Brandon Polk are already committed.

TE - Position is loaded with Kyle Carter, Jesse James, Adam Breneman, Brent Wilkerson, and Mike Gesiki(fr).

Oline - Big area of trouble this year. Donovan Smith returns at Tackle and is pretty good. Miles Dieffenbach was lost in the spring and is a big loss. The rest of the line will be made up of 1st and 2nd year players who either are walkons or may not be physically ready. I'm pretty confident in the starting unit, but if there are any injuries it could be a disaster.

DLine - This unit is actually pretty strong. Strong enough that some kids were moved from the Dline to the online just for depth purposes. Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettle will play the tackle positions. They are both pretty good players. Freshman Tarow Barney and Parker Cothran will see time. On the Ends, CJ Olaniyan and Deon Barnes return to form a pretty good pash rush presence on the outside. Will probably need to see some youth get some time on the outside like Freshman Torrence Brown and redshirt freshman Garret Sickles.

LB - Another area of concern going into the season that was only made more concerning when Ben Kline (backup linebacker went down with a knee injury). Starters will be solid much like the oline, but the backups will be young and inexperienced. Mike Hull, Nyeem Wartman, and Brandon Bell, who played well as a true freshman, will probably lead the LB corps. True Freshman Troy Reeder and Jason Cabinda will need to play and probably a good amount

Secondary - The secondary returns starters Adrian Amos at Safety, Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams at corner. Malik Golden may see some time up the other safety position or Jesse Della valle. True Freshman Grant Haley has been said to be impressing at Corner and may see lots of time. Quite a few young talented Freshman will probably see some time, such as true freshman safety Koa Farmer, from California and Christian Campbell out of Alabama.

K - Sam Ficken....could be a disaster or could be good, but at least they have other options if he isn't.

Overall - I could see this year being anywhere from a disaster to a 9 win season. Penn State opens with Central Florida, if they lose that game it would not surprise me to see them come home and lose to Akron on a short week. The overall depth on this team is not good, so if injuries take their toll it could be a long year. There is plenty of talent, though, and Hackenberg could lead them to a few wins. My best guess is a 6-7 win team. Whatever happens, this year is a building block for a very bright future. Franklin is recruiting talent across the board that will really start to show in 2015 and 2016.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I saw where Dieffenbach plans to come and try to play the last 3-4 games, not sure how likely that would be.

Is Penn State the team that lost to Indiana and whacked by OSU, or are they the team that gutted out that last win against a pretty good Wisconsin team?

I think the UCF game will say a lot about this team, it's a bowl game to start the year so there will be a lot of hoopla going to Ireland and what not. And it isn't a cream puff opponent at all. UCF beat them last year, they lost a lot, but still some are ranking them in the top 25.

I see PSU going 3-1 in the first 4. I do think UCF will get them. They'll beat Akron, they'll beat Rutgers on the road with 50% of the crowd probably PSU fans anyway, and UMass is the worst team in the FBS, that's a cake walk.

PSU is too far behind with talent and depth to beat Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State. They did beat Michigan last year, but as you said this could be the year things take their toll scholarship wise.

Maryland and Temple at home should be gimme's.

Illinois and Indiana on the road should be wins, but Indiana managed to pull it off last year.

Northwestern at home would be Penn State's chance for a legitimate win over a solid team.


I'll give Penn State 7-5, but they could be Northwestern for 8-4.

[abpk2903]

Great post! Few additional thoughts:

-Dieffenbach isn't using a redshirt then?
-I was told Kline tore up his achellis tendon
-Mike Hull has to have the first completely healthy year if his Collegiate career or Penn State is in big trouble.

I think there is more talent on this roster than realized and I've heard some big excitement out of some reliable program insiders:

*UCF - W (tough game to be breaking in a new QB and RB)
Akron - W
@Rutgers -W
UMass - W
Northwestern - L
@Mighigan - W (Another upset over the Wolverines)
Ohio State - L
Maryland - W (upset alert here)
@Indiana - W
Temple - W
@Illinois - W
Michigan State - L

9-3 IF Hack, Hull, and Amos can stay healthy. Early injury to any of these 3, 5-7 is more realistic.

[WALTER4]

In regards to Deiffenbach, he already used a redshirt his freshman season. In order to get an additional medical redshirt season, the original redshirt had to be because of medical reasons. For instance, if Desean Hamilton were to be injured again, he could receive a medical redshirt because his freshman redshirt season was due to a wrist injury.