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FOX Sports Analyst Joel Klatt gives Penn State football a preseason top 5 ranking

FOX Analyst has high expectations for Drew Allar and Penn State this fall.

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Joel Klatt, Penn State Football
Joel Klatt speaks on a Big Noon Kickoff pregame show before a NCAA football game between Iowa and Ohio State, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. 221022 Iowa Ohio St Fb 0119 Jpg

The Penn State football team will have games broadcasted on several different networks throughout the 2023 season. Those include CBS, Peacock, NBC, and FOX. The games on FOX will be part of the Big Noon Kickoff which includes play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and color commentator Joel Klatt. During the offseason, Klatt has ranked his top 25 schools before the 2023 college football season begins and he has big expectations for Penn State this fall.

FOX Sports Analyst Joel Klatt ranks Penn State 5th in preseason top 25

The hype surrounding the Penn State football team is very real, many national media outlets believe that the Nittany Lions can be one of the best teams in the country and that includes some of the most notable personalities in the sport. Recently, even CBS Sports Josh Pate stated that he predicts an 11-1 season for the Nittany Lions. Now, Joel Klatt has a similar prediction and his logic is tough to argue with.

On his podcast The Joel Klatt ShowKlatt praised the Nittany Lions stating “Penn State to me is a team that is just banging on the door of that next step of success in college football.” Which is so true, the Nittany Lions have been so close to that next level but they haven’t been able to get past Ohio State and Michigan. Even beating one of those two opponents would put this team in a great position, something they are hoping to pull off this year.

What’s the biggest question mark for Penn State?

Joel Klatt spoke about the challenge of playing with the best teams in the Big Ten conference is how well can your quarterback play. He said, ” If I am a Penn State fan, my question is are we going to be better at quarterback in order to play with the big boys?” That’s the key for the season, can Drew Allar take the Nittany Lions down the field when it matters in order to win a big game?

Klatt continued “Drew Allar is an incredibly talented player, really talented and I actually think he fits what Penn State can do and will do much better than what Sean Clifford fit over the last couple of years.” If that truly is the case then we could see offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich dial up the deep pass more often than ever, which would make opposing defenses second-guess how they want to play this team in 2023.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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BREAKING: Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara a top 10 prospect in PA commits to Penn State.

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Oct 19, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Pat Freiermuth (87) reacts to a touchdown run by quarterback Sean Clifford (14) against the Michigan Wolverines during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY S

The Penn State football team has now gone three straight days a landing a commitment. Brady O’Hara has made his commitment to the Nittany Lions. He is a top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania. The 2025 class has added DJ McClary and Tiqwai Hayes in the past two days. Both players are part of Penn State’s 2025 recruiting class. The impact of the whiteout continues to prove its value on the recruiting trail.

Penn State football lands top 10 prospect in PA

Brady O’Hara is a four-star recruit in the 2025 class and he plays his high school football at North Catholic High School located in Pittsburgh, PA. He held offers from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, UConn, and Penn State. Then, on Tuesday morning he announced his commitment to Penn State on his social media channels.

O’Hara is currently ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.

Brady O’Hara plays both sides of the ball

O’Hara is listed as an athlete on 247sports because he plays both tight end and defensive end. It will be interesting to see what position he will choose to play when he gets on campus. But after watching Tyler Warren and Chop Robinson on Saturday night either position would fit him well.

Either way, he has shown that he can be successful regardless of where he lines up on the field. He can be a great red zone target or a dominant defensive end. Both positions at Penn State have developed well over the years which helped their case land this top 10 prospect in Pennsylvania.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State football players were seeking revenge against Iowa

Revenge was on the mind of several Penn State football players against Iowa on Saturday night.

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Penn State football, Dani Dennis-Sutton, KeAndre Lambert-Smith,James Franklin
Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (1) runs after a catch during the first half of a White Out game at Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa.

It was the elephant in the room of last week for the Penn State football team. Would revenge be on the minds of players during the Iowa game? Of course, this was produced from the 2021 matchup between Penn State and Iowa. When several Nittany Lions went down with injuries during the game, Iowa fans and members of their coaching staff mocked Penn State. The Hawkeyes special teams coach LeVar Woods even flopped on the ground at one point making fun of the injured players. After the game, we learned that revenge was certainly on the Dani Dennis-Sutton, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and other’s minds Saturday night. James Franklin reminded the team what message they needed to send Saturday night.

Penn State football players were seeking revenge against Iowa

One of the best parts of college football is what goes around comes around. One year you might beat a team by 30 points and the next you lose to them by 30. But how you act during those wins usually stands out. In Iowa City in 2021, James Franklin and his coaching staff took note of how they were treated. They got their sweet revenge on Saturday night defeating Iowa 31-0.

Audrey Synder of The Athletic recently wrote a piece Penn State football wanted revenge on Iowa. It got that and much more in Whiteout shutoutIn this story, Synder included a quote from sophomore defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton following the Iowa game.

Sutton said, “[Franklin] showed us some of the same things they did in 2021 with the special teams coordinator on the sideline flopping and stuff like that. Their head coach was saying stuff that they smelled a rat or something when some of our guys went down.”

It’s amazing that even a player like Dani Dennis-Sutton who wasn’t on the team in 2021 could find motivation from this. This shows how meaningful the brotherhood of being a Penn State football player truly is.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith also remembered 2021

One of the players who was part of that game in 2021 was WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith. He remembered that game very well. Following the Nittany Lions’ victory on Saturday night, Lambert-Smith spoke about the mindset James Franklin instilled heading into the whiteout game.

Lambert-Smith said, “I would just say we know what was at stake. We knew what happened a few years ago. We just locked in. We put a great week of preparation together.”



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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Penn State QB Drew Allar grades offense’s play through 4 games

QB Drew Allar broke down the good and the bad that he’s seen from the Penn State offense through 4 games this season.

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Sep 23, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) gestures from the line of scrimmage during the first quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

And just like that, we’re through a third of the college football season. It’s hard to argue that Penn State football isn’t one of the most dominant teams in the sport through four games. A major piece of the success so far in 2023 has been new starting QB Drew Allar. The sophomore has been a rock for Penn State this year, and has led the Nittany Lions’ offense to be one of the most successful in the nation. But what has led to Penn State’s offensive success this season? After the Iowa game, we asked the Penn State QB to break down what he’s seen from his unit so far.

Hope springs eternal for the Nittany Lions’ offense

There’s plenty of optimism around the Penn State offense after four games this year. Most recently, we watched the Nittany Lions dismantle the No. 24 Iowa Hawkeyes 31-0 in the White Out Saturday evening. So far, we’ve seen Penn State pick apart secondaries and roll over opponents with the ground game.

Penn State currently leads the Big Ten in scoring and is second to Maryland in total yards. The Nittany Lions have scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games, the longest streak in the nation. Even when it hasn’t looked sharp, the offense has still been able to put up points in bunches. And that is perhaps the most impressive thing about the Penn State offense this year – there’s a wide belief that we haven’t seen the unit peak yet.

Drew Allar leads the way

The catalyst for the offense so far is undoubtedly QB Drew Allar. The 19-year-old has looked like a seasoned veteran despite only making his fourth start Saturday night. He looks in command on the field, and it shows. Allar, who today was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list for the nation’s top QB, has 903 yards and 8 touchdowns on a 67% completion rate this year.

Allar’s most impressive stat line, however, is the lack of one. The Penn State QB has yet to turn the ball over this season, something that young first-time starters with rockets for arms are apt to do. Even when he hasn’t been on his A game, Allar has not put the football in harm’s way.

As a result, the rest of the team has followed suit. Penn State football is the only team in the nation that has yet to turn the ball over. This is a stat that will most certainly end at some point, but it speaks to the poise and maturity that Drew Allar has already brought to the field.

Penn State QB grades offense’s play through four games

The Penn State offense has at times looked equal parts lethal and methodical. But most of all, the offense has looked clean and efficient. The Nittany Lions have kept Allar clean (only two sacks allowed) and have avoided the big mistakes. According to Drew Allar, this has been the winning formula thus far.

“I think we’re doing a really good job right now of being efficient and staying on track,” Allar told us after the Iowa game. “We do get into situations where we kind of hurt ourselves with penalties. And I think we’ll continue to learn and grow from those mistakes that we make. But I think we’re doing a really good job right now just taking what the defense has given us, taking care of the ball, which is the biggest thing for the offense, and controlling the ball. So, I think we’re just doing a really good job of being very efficient.”

But now, the tape on the Nittany Lion offense grows by the game. If Penn State football is to continue riding the wave and reach its goals for this season, the offense must continue to evolve. After all, the slate won’t get any easier, and the biggest challenges still lie ahead.



Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!

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