James Franklin's successful Penn State program arrived a season earlier than most had anticipated. The Nittany Lions weren't supposed to do much until this season, but they won the Big Ten championship last season. They were picked by many to repeat because they returned the bulk of their roster and all of their offensive stars.
The Nittany Lions have ascended to No. 2 in both major polls, hold a 6-0 record and have run through their schedule without much trouble. The Nittany Lions have had only one close game, at Iowa, and have blown out everyone else.
It gets much tougher, though, as Penn State will play ranked opponents Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State over the next three weeks. The Wolverines will visit Beaver Stadium, and the Nittany Lions will go on the road to play the Buckeyes and Spartans.
On paper, that seems like a near-impossible stretch to navigate unblemished. However, all three are overrated, even though they're ranked.
Michigan has a big-name coach, but the results don't match the hype. The Wolverines are painfully average in so many ways. Their offense is anemic and ranked No. 82 in scoring.
The Buckeyes are more overrated than the Wolverines. They have feasted on a diet of cupcakes, which has produced inflated offensive numbers. Quarterback J.T. Barrett is not nearly as good as his recent numbers suggest.
Neither Michigan nor Ohio State are as complete as Penn State.
The game that should worry Penn State fans the most is Nov. 4 at Michigan State. The Spartans are well-coached, disciplined and have an opportunistic defense. They are built to pull an upset and have a history of playing well against the Nittany Lions. Michigan State is 4-3 in their past seven against Penn State.
Still, Penn State proved at Iowa they have talent and skill all over the field _ and they have the moxie to win ugly games. Penn State scored on fourth down in the final seconds to beat the Hawkeyes, which is how the Michigan State game could go.
Penn State will win all three of these games and prove last season was no fluke. The Nittany Lions are officially back as a national program. They are the best team in the Big Ten and will prove it each of the next three Saturdays.
