USA TODAY’s way-too-early Top 25 sees Penn State further down the rankings
The college football season ended last night with the Michigan Wolverines dominating the Washington Huskies in Houston. So now everyone takes a break from college football and watches the NFL Playoffs?
Wrong! Well, maybe some people do, but we at Nittany Lions Wire want to scour the internet to find all the way-too-early rankings looking for where experts see Penn State in August.
Today, USA TODAY came out with their way-too-early rankings for the 2024 season. Compared to other experts’ way-too-early rankings, Penn State finds itself a bit lower down the list than normal. USA TODAY writers Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith slot the Nittany Lions at No. 15 in the country. Behind Big Ten foes Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State. I have yet to see a ranking where Penn State isn’t ranked behind those programs, and certain rankings also have Penn State behind Washington.
There’s no doubt many experts view the Nittany Lions as a top-15 team, but with the Big Ten expanded and James Franklin's squad not showing their ability to win the ‘big” game, a higher ranking is simply not in the cards. Penn State definitely has the players to improve upon its 10-3 2023 season, but with two new coordinators, they will have to show it first.
Myerberg and Smith write that Penn State has the ceiling to win the Big Ten and receive an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. However, they also say that a much improved wide receiver room plus the continued development of quarterback Drew Allar will be a major factor.
The national runner-up and 2024 Penn State opponent, the Washington Huskies, are just behind the Nittany Lions at No. 17. Without Michael Penix Jr. and his trio of great receivers, the Husky offense could look a lot different next season.
Seven Big Ten teams are ranked, including USC (19th) and Iowa (24th). Only time will tell whether Penn State will develop into a top 10 or 5 team once again, but I agree there is a lot of unknown. There will always be a learning curve when bringing in two new coordinators, no matter the situation. I think a fair preseason or way-too-early ranking for Penn State should be around 11th or 12th. Placing them 15th is definitely on the lower end of where I’d deem a fair assessment, but without seeing the product under two new coaches, it is hard to fault them for putting them there.
