National media calls for Penn State football to be named as top team in Big Ten intensify

Penn State football came into 2023 with sky-high expectations. And through two weeks of the season, the Nittany Lions have delivered. With two decisive wins, Penn State has showed very few flaws through the early portion of the season, and has more than earned its No. 7 ranking. The Nittany Lions have looked so impressive, in fact, that calls among members of the national media have been gaining momentum for Penn State to be recognized above Ohio State and Michigan as the top team in the Big Ten.

Penn State football impresses early…and often

Penn State has left little doubt through two weeks of 2023, besting its opponents by a combined score of 101-22. New quarterback Drew Allar has looked sensational, the running back room has picked up where it left off in 2022, and – minus a few miscues – the defense looks as formidable as ever.

As the Nittany Lions have taken care of business on the field, advocates for Penn State have picked up off it. One of the earliest calls came after Penn State’s Week 1 victory over West Virginia. Following the win, BTN’s J Leman called the Nittany Lions the most athletically impressive team in the Big Ten.

"Watch out for the Nittany Lions. I think they were the most impressive team, athletically, in the whole conference."

🗣️ @JLeman47 on @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/wL0TngSuVy

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 3, 2023

Drew Allar is changing minds in the media about Penn State

These calls have only gained momentum this week. On Monday’s edition of College Sports Today on SiriusXM, analyst Roddy Jones gave his take during an “overreaction” segment based on the Week 2 slate. From what he saw on the field, Jones said Penn State may be the new favorite to win the Big Ten.

“This is less a Michigan thing…this is how good, to me, Penn State has looked,” Jones stated. “Drew Allar is showing signs that he could be the best quarterback in that conference…They go to Illinois this week. I’m just saying, it could be one of those situations where we’re looking up, and we’re like, ‘We should have seen this coming from Penn State.'”

The trend continued on the SiriusXM airwaves during today’s edition of Dusty and Danny in the Morning. When discussing the Nittany Lions, analyst Dusty Dvoracek also noted that Drew Allar is a big reason why Penn State should be considered for the top spot in the conference.

“Are we sure Penn State isn’t the best team in the Big Ten?” Dvoracek asked. “…By the way, Michigan has to go to Happy Valley… I’ve been unbelievably impressed with everything we’ve seen from Penn State. And a big reason why I think this team could potentially do something special is that quarterback Drew Allar. I would have them ahead of Ohio State on my list.”

Nittany Lions jump Ohio State, Michigan in power rankings

James Franklin’s team is also making waves on the analytical side of the national media. After Week 2, Penn State jumped ahead of Michigan in ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Nittany Lions now have a projected 63.7% chance of beating the Wolverines on November 11.

And in Big Ten power rankings released just hours ago by On3, Penn State has jumped to the No. 2 spot in the conference. The Nittany Lions trade places with Ohio State, who moves down to the third spot.

Obviously, the upcoming games between Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State will settle this debate. But Nittany Lions fans must like what they’ve heard from the national media to start the 2023 season.

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