Just two seasons ago, I was writing my Penn State column for the 2012 season opener against the Ohio Bobcats. I remember writing about Bill O'Brien's first day on the field as head coach of the Nittany Lions like it was yesterday. Basically, because it literally feels like it was yesterday.

Now, fast forward to the 2014 college football season.Bill O'Brien has left the Nittany Lions for the NFL and the Houston Texans. Penn State yet again has a new head football coach and yet again here I am writing about how I think his first day on the gridiron as PSU's new head man is going to fare.That new head man as all of you know is Langhorne, PA native and former Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin. Franklin's debut is a little different than O'Brien's with the fact that he won't be coaching within the comfy confines of Beaver Stadium. Instead, Franklin will be making his debut across the pond at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.However, something that is similar about both of their coaching debuts is the high talent of their opponents. O'Brien faced an Ohio team that went 9-4 in 2012 and started the season 7-0. Franklin is opening up with a UCF team that finished the 2013 season ranked 10th with a 12-1 record. Penn State dropped a tough one to UCF last season 34-31.The Golden Knights are indeed not the same team they were a year ago, losing starting quarterback Blake Bortles and starting running back Storm Johnson to the NFL. But do believe that they're still very talented and according to most Las Vegas odds makers UCF is a 1.5 favorite for this morning's matchup (8:30 a.m. ESPN 2).It's no surprise the Golden Knights are favored, even with the losses of Bortles and Johnson. The reasoning for this is Penn State simply has too many question marks on the offensive line and at the receiver position.The Nittany Lions return just one starting offensive lineman from a year ago in left tackle Donovan Smith. Guard Miles Dieffenbach would have been another returning starter, but injured his knee in the spring and he will be out for the season.In the BIG 10, where tough, strong defenses are a dime a dozen an inexperienced offensive line will catch up to you sooner or later. Also, having an inexperienced offensive line against a team like UCF that had a ton of success last season paired with the fact that you're in a foreign country is a challenge that I'm sure James Franklin and his staff are not looking forward to.As noted, another area of concern on the Penn State offense is the wide receiving corp. Allen Robinson has taken his talents to the NFL along with his production from last season. Robinson was named BIG 10 Receiver of the Year for the second straight season in 2013 after catching 97 balls for 1,432 yards and six touchdowns.Taking over Robinson's spot will be sophomore Eugene Lewis. Lewis had 18 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns a year ago and his work load will almost be tripled this season. After Lewis, it's a bunch of young inexperienced guys that will need to step up. Freshman De'Andre Thompkins, Saeed Blacknall, and Chris Godwin will all need to contribute, while redshirt junior Jake Kiley, redshirt senior Matt Zanellato, redshirt freshman DaeSean Hamilton, and sophomore Greg Garrity will all see time as well. Basically, it's a bunch of guys that have done next to nothing on game day for PSU, so it will certainly be interesting to see who will emerge as a playmaker.Of course, the Penn State offense does have some options. BIG 10 Freshman of the Year and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg has another season under his belt and will look to improve on an impressive 2013 season (2,995 yards, 20TDs 10 Int.).His top target will most likely be 6-7 272 pound junior tight end Jesse James. James had 25 catches for 333 yards and three touchdowns a season ago. Redshirt junior Kyle Carter is also expected to make some noise along with redshirt sophomore Brent Wilkerson and highly touted freshman Mike Gesicki."Hack" will also have some help from his running backs, which is perhaps the most talented at their respective position group in the BIG 10. Zack Zwinak (989 yds, 12 TDs), Bill Belton (803 yds, 5TDs), and Akeel Lynch (358 yds, 1TD) will look to grind, pound, and speed past the competition in the BIG 10 this season. All have experience and that's one thing you need when your run blocking might not be great.I think this game will come down to how well Penn State's offense can play against UCF's defense. The Golden Knights "D" is athletic and let up just 21 points per game a season ago. Hackenberg won't have it easy as senior defensive backs Clayton Geathers and Brandon Alexander are two of the best he'll see all season long. Linebacker Terrance Plummer is also a guy to watch out for. Plummer had 110 tackles a year ago, with 8.5 of them going for a loss.On the flip side of that, the Penn State defense has a chance to make a statement right out of the gate. UCF will be breaking in a new quarterback, running back, and a trio of offensive lineman. The Penn State coaching staff has been adamant that they're going to play an in-your-face style of defense, so we'll see if that holds true early this morning.If the Penn State defense cannot get pressure on UCF quarterback Pete DiNovo then they run the risk of giving up some big yards to talented returning receivers Rannell Hall (886 yds, 5TDs) and J.J. Worton (721 yds, 7TDs). DiNovo, who was the surprise pick to start for UCF, no matter the lack of experience, cannot have time to get the ball to these two guys.PSU's front four in Deion Barnes, Anthony Zettel, Austin Johnson, and C.J Olaniyan have the potential to be a special unit this season and they need to open up the year with a strong performance. The fact that UCF is starting three new offensive lineman should bode well for their success.There are a lot of questions to be answered as the James Franklin era starts today. How will the offensive line play? Can Hackenberg lead the Nittany Lions this season? Who will emerge as the playmaker at the wide receiver position? Can the defense get back to prominence? Some of these questions will be answered tomorrow, while the others could take some time to come to fruition. One thing is for sure, and that is it will be another exciting season of Penn State football.