What is in store for the 2021 Penn State football team?

That is a question that many media members and fans are asking themselves as kickoff in Madison, WI (Noon, ET, FOX) nears just a few hours from now. And the easy answer is, it’s really anybody’s guess.

Coming off a 2020 campaign that saw the Nittany Lions start out 0-5 before ending the season on a four game win streak, it certainly didn’t pan out like much had thought, including this columnist, who picked them to go 8-0.

Hence, the reason for me taking a year off from my prediction column, which I figured I didn’t deserve to write after my poor prognostication. Plus, the constant backlash from blue and white fans in Frank Jacobs, Craig Zurn, Mike Dubosky and a few others as well as the forever present abuse from Notre Dame fans in Shaun Midas, Jake Zurn, Pat Crampsie and my very own editor Emmett McCall; I figured I’d give myself a bit of a break.

So, back to my original question of what can people expect from Penn State this season? Instead of taking the easy way out, let’s dive into this a little deeper. The one word I would use is – improved. I won’t deny I’m one of the more optimistic writers when it comes to the Nittany Lions, but looking at this season’s squad, with a full offseason under its belt and an injection of energy from a bright offensive mind in new hire Mike Yurcich at offensive coordinator, and I think the potential is there for an enormous bounce back season.

However, all of those thoughts are predicated on one thing and one thing only and that is the play of quarterback Sean Clifford. Clifford took a noticeable step back in 2020, throwing for 1,883 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine game. He threw eight interceptions during Penn State’s five game losing streak. The redshirt senior must do a better job of taking care of the ball and pushing the ball down field as his average yards per completion decreased by almost a full yard between his RS sophomore and RS junior campaigns.

I think one of the things that’s most impressive about Sean is the way he prepares and how he is, really from a football IQ standpoint and understanding protections and what we need to do to solve problems and things like that,” said Penn State head coach James Franklin. “He does a really good job and he works at it. He’s got a really good football IQ but he also really works at it.”

Coach Franklin also believes the addition of Mike Yurcich has been good for Clifford this offseason and will help lead to on-field success.

“Mike has been different and I think in a lot of ways, it’s been good for Sean. Mike is aggressive. Mike is aggressive in how he coaches. I think that’s important because come Saturdays, it’s going to be an aggressive game.”

The Nittany Lions offense will surely need to be aggressive against a Wisconsin defense that was ranked fifth in the country in total defense (299.9 yards per game) and ninth in the country in scoring defense (17.4 points per game) and returns eight starters. As much as this game comes down to Clifford playing well offensively in Yurcich’s new scheme, it also comes down to what is expected to be a vaunted Nittany Lions’ rushing attack having success, with talented junior running back Noah Cain returning this season from injury.

Cain will lead a group that should feature a three-headed attack with sophomore Keyvone Lee (438 yards, 4 TDs) and graduate transfer in homerun hitter John Lovett from Baylor, who rushed for a career 1,803 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Bears. Caziah Holmes and Devyn Ford will also see time, but I expect Cain, Lee and Lovett to see the bulk of the carries. The more successful the running game is, the more open the field will be for Clifford and Jahan Dotson (884 yards, 8 TDs) and company to go to work.

Defensively, is where I can see Penn State giving Wisconsin some real issues if it can control the trenches against what is always a top tier Badgers offensive line. The middle of Penn State’s defense should do just fine, with a solid rotation of PJ Mustipher, Duke transfer Derek Tangelo, Fred Hansard and Hakeem Beamon at defensive tackle. There is concern at defensive end after promising edge rusher Adisa Isaac was ruled out for the season with an injury, so it will be up to Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie and Nick Tarburton as well as Jesse Luketa, Amin Vanover, Smith Vilbert and Zuriah Fisher to make an impact. Other than Ebiketie, the rest of these guys are extremely unproven.

But, the Penn State linebacker core led by Brandon Smith and the secondary led by Jaquan Brisker are one of the more talented groups in the BIG 10. These position groups possess speed and playmaking ability. Wisconsin struggled offensively a season ago, scoring just 25.1 points per game and ranked 103rd in total offense in the country. It’s no secret that the Badgers like to run the football, so if Penn State can force Wisconsin to throw the ball against its talented secondary that could make things hard on youngster Graham Mertz.

I do think Penn State is the more talented team, heading into Madison and I do think Clifford will improve this season. But make no mistake about it, Wisconsin is ranked No. 12 in the country for a reason, because it is a good football team. If the Nittany Lions do not take care of the football reminiscent of their minus-seven turnover differential from a season ago then there is no way it gets out of Camp Randall Stadium with a victory.

I’m going to go out on a ledge here and predict that instead it will be the Penn State defense that forces turnovers on the day, while the offense under Yurcich’s direction puts together some explosive plays and takes care of the football.

My prediction is Penn State 27, Wisconsin 21.