The Nittany Lions have claimed 11 victories in three out of the last four years, so the next hurdle in coach James Franklin's tenure is a trip to the CFB Playoff. Getting there in 2020 could hinge on how fast the offense thrives under new play-caller Kirk Ciarrocca and how far quarterback Sean Clifford develops in his second year under center. Tight end Pat Friermuth and receiver Jahan Dotson form a good starting point in the passing game, but more weapons must emerge. The offensive line is one of the best in the conference, and the backfield ranks near the top of college football with Journey Brown poised for a big year as the No. 1 option. Penn State's defense held teams to 16 points a game last season, and despite returning only five starters, this should be a standout group once again. Linebacker Micah Parsons is a first-team All-American, and there's a collection of talent waiting to emerge in the trenches. This group needs to get a little better against the pass and eliminate some of the big plays allowed last year. The road schedule is tricky with dates at Nebraska, Michigan, and Indiana. However, Ohio State — Penn State's biggest competition for the East Division — comes to Happy Valley.
With no fans & a shortened schedule, PSU could either be worse or better, we will see
1-2 B10 teams
Random P12 team ( probably Oregon but maybe USC )
ND
3-4 SEC teams ( including 1 who is dramatically overrated. Likely TAMU because its almost always TAMU )
13-20
Few more B10, B12 and SEC teams.
Random P12 team ( probably USC unless they get overrated in the top 12 which is 50/50)
Throw a bone to a G5
21-25
G5s and fill out the rest with P5s who should probably actually be higher but you cant rank them higher and still overrate TAMU, Texas and USC