The Penn State Nittany Lions football team is set to take on the Northwestern Wildcats tonight at 8 pm ET. The Nittany Lions are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in which the Lions blew a 17-0 lead. This loss left the Lions unranked in the AP Poll, and they will look to bounce back tonight against the Wildcats. The Wildcats will not make this easy for the Lions, though, as they almost beat the defending national champions, the then-No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers.
The Lions could certainly lose their second straight game, but the good news is Matt Campbell is really good at bouncing back after losses, as he showed when he led the Iowa State Cyclones. When James Franklin was fired, the Penn State community, fans, and maybe even players thought it would change a big narrative, and the Lions would reach a new mountain. But after that loss, we now look at whether the Lions are a failing dynasty.
Are the Nittany Lions a Failing Dynasty?
They Never Win the “Big” Games
It is a blessing that the Nittany Lions do not have to play the Ohio State Buckeyes this season. The Nittany Lions are in their first year of not playing them every year anymore, and when they did play every year, it was a disaster. The Lions have not beaten the Buckeyes since 2016, and they have not beaten the Michigan Wolverines since 2020.
Not winning big games is what got Franklin relieved of his duties, and with USC and the Wolverines coming up on the schedule, there is not much reason to be optimistic that they can win a big game. The Lions beat the Trojans just a few years ago, but that was not the big game the Lions needed to win. If the Lions can never win the big games, it will not only be hard for them to compete nationally, but it will also be hard to get top recruits.
They Went From Losing Big Games to Losing “Easier” Big Ten Games
The Lions did not just lose to those top teams; they now have to be scared to play any Big Ten team, which shows they have taken a massive step back as a program. The Lions lost to a Badgers team that is decent, but not a game the Lions should lose. If it was a one-time thing, then there is nothing to worry about, but the Lions lost to several mediocre or below-average teams last year, which makes it really seem like the Lions are not an 11-2 team anymore.
What Could the Issue Be?
A big issue with this could simply be the nonconference schedule. The Lions playing teams like Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo do not get you ready for big games. The Buckeyes’ non-conference games always have Texas or Notre Dame, and that is what gets you ready for harder competition. It is one thing to have one smaller school game, but for that to be your only non-conference game every year is a massive problem.
The playcalling is also an issue, as the Lions drove down the field with a chance to win, but they did not because they kept throwing into the end zone when they just needed to simply get a 10-15 yard play. To make matters worse, the Lions had at least one timeout during this too, so it is not like they were forced to throw it into the end zone. Coaching could be a real issue; losing Franklin may not have changed anything.
The Nittany Lions look to bounce back tonight against the Wildcats in one of the best unranked matchups of the weekend, but it may present some challenges on the road. The Lions have had years of false hope, and it is quickly becoming a question if the Lions are overrated each year. Do you think the Lions are trending downward?
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