Can James Franklin lead Penn State football to an undefeated season in 2023?

Expectations for Penn State football in 2023 are about as high as they’ve been in recent memory. Depending on who you ask, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are a trendy darkhorse Big Ten title pick or a bonafide College Football Playoff contender. With kickoff to the season a week away, the anticipation is nearing a fever pitch in Happy Valley. Is 2023 finally the year Penn State can get over the hump, beat Ohio State and Michigan, and go undefeated? The gang tackles the topic head-on in the season prediction episode of the Tailgate Talk podcast.

A cakewalk of an early-season slate?

We’re practically a week away from kickoff in Happy Valley. Penn State football has already broken fall camp, and is on to Week 1 prep for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Although questions remain, particularly around the starting quarterback battle and the passing game, expectations are still sky-high for the Nittany Lions this season.

Overall, it’s difficult to anticipate Penn State having much trouble through the first two weeks of the season. The first real challenge is expected to come on September 16 at Illinois. While the Illini lost some key pieces from last year’s team, they are still a very well-coached and physical roster – one that gave the Nittany Lions fits the last time the two played in 2021. Taking the pressure off expected starter Drew Allar with the run game will be critical. Still, Penn State should be able to escape Champaign with a victory.

The White Out game comes early this season, on September 23 against Iowa. While the Hawkeyes are expected to have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, their offense still leaves many questions. Penn State is currently a 10.5-point favorite at home, and we don’t expect Iowa to be able to keep pace in this game.

The Nittany Lions then transition into games against Northwestern and UMass, where they should be heavy favorites. With the bye week sandwiched between these two opponents, Penn State’s schedule sets up nicely for the stretch that is to come.

Can James Franklin lead Penn State to an undefeated season?

The first game everyone has circled is against Ohio State on October 21 in Columbus. While Penn State’s roster is likely better suited to play with the Buckeyes, winning in the Horseshoe is difficult. The Nittany Lions have been in position to beat Ohio State several times recently, but have fallen apart late. We expect much of the same, with the gang all predicting Penn State’s first loss of the season.

While the games against Indiana and Maryland could have interesting dynamics, we still think Penn State will come away with easy wins in both matchups. That brings us to the biggest home game of the season – Michigan on November 11.

Although the Wolverines handled Penn State last year, playing at home should significantly boost the Nittany Lions. Penn State gave Michigan all it could handle two years ago in Happy Valley, and the same should be expected here. However, this game is where the podcast diverges in their predictions. While Matt and Trent think Penn State can get over the hump in this game, Kyle needs to see it first to believe.

With the gang all predicting wins against Rutgers and Michigan State to close out the year, the final season predictions for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are as follows:

• Matt: 11-1; loss at Ohio State.
• Trent: 11-1; loss at Ohio State.
• Kyle: 10-2; losses at Ohio State and versus Michigan.

You can watch the entire 2023 season preview episode HERE.

Tailgate Talk: A Penn State Football Podcast

Tailgate Talk is a podcast that brings together a collection of lifelong friends and Penn State fans to cover all the happenings around the Nittany Lion football program. Each week, the gang provides their honest, unfiltered, and (sometimes) wild opinions in what can only be described as tailgate talk.

For the 2023 season, Tailgate Talk has joined the Basic Blues Nation family of podcasts, Basic Blues Studios.

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