Penn State may very well just be the most talked-about Big Ten football team outside of defending national champion Ohio State and its arch-rival Michigan.
There is much reason to like Penn State. Whether that's Drew Allar's return to State College alongside fellow running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, or the addition of championship-winning defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, several pros stick out amongst reasons why the Nittany Lions could again contend for a Big Ten title and a postseason berth.
However, one issue may arise to ruin the potential dream season: its defense. Even with Knowles, CBS Sports' Bud Elliott shared the offense may have to do the brunt of the work with the loss of Abdul Carter to the NFL, among other key stars.
"I don't know man. It's hard to replace guy-after-guy," Elliott said. "You lose Chop Robinson, all of the sudden Abdul Carter is unblockable. Year-after-Year, you lose Micah Parsons and then Chop Robinson is there."
That said, it's not that Penn State can't fix those issues. It's a matter of if they can, and whether or not coach James Franklin is willing to dig in to make it happen.
"That's hard to do over and over again," Elliott added. "I think I see a little backslide for Penn State's defense and I do think I see a step forward for Penn State's offense. I think for the first time in a long time the offense is better than the defense."
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Given Elliott's pertinent points, the offense more than likely is going to be tasked with winning some key games this season, which includes a late-September rematch against Oregon and a November blockbuster against a Buckeyes team which still has yet to make a firm decision on their quarterback situation.
For now, the Nittany Lions must ignore the outside noise while chasing a Big Ten title this fall. Even so, it's easier said than done.