Wisconsin's 2018 season is still a few months away, but it's never too early to get the inside scoop on the teams the Badgers will square off against this fall.
The Badgers will head back to Happy Valley to take on Penn State on Nov. 10, so we asked Ben Jones of StateCollege.com a few questions about what the Badgers should expect to see when they take on the new-look Nittany Lions.
Our questions and Ben's answers are included below.
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After two really successful seasons at Penn State, is it safe to say that James Franklin has brought this program all the way back to where fans expect the Nittany Lions to be on a year-to-year basis? What was it that clicked in State College after his first two seasons?
Ben Jones: I think Penn State will be back where fans want it when the kind of success the program has had the past two years is more the norm than the rarity, so it kind of remains to be seen in that regard. But certainly in comparison to previous years and the general trend of the program pre and post-sanctions, there's little doubt Penn State is in a place fans would expect it to be. Really the biggest thing was combination of depth and Joe Moorhead. The first, people don't appreciate how much time it takes to get a roster fully stocked with talent again after losing so many scholarships. It impacted practices, it impacted what happened after an injury. It's really something that is a bigger deal than it might seem, even if Penn State was having reasonable success while under them. Then for Moorhead, he ran the kind of offense that made the most of the talent Franklin had been recruiting. Add in a little Saquon Barkley or Trace McSorley and you have yourself a good team.
From an outsider's perspective it seems to me like the Nittany Lions have to replace quite a few important offensive players and coaches from last season. Who is stepping in to replace guys like running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Mike Gesiki, and offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead? And should people expect Penn State's offense to look any different in 2018, or will new coordinator Ricky Rahne try to keep the same system in place after getting an in-house promotion?
Ben Jones: The main point of Rahne's promotion was to try and avoid a transition year, because in the end Penn State wants to run the same offense it has run the past two seasons. So in theory even if a "better" name is out there somewhere, Rahne is going to have less ground to cover to get back on the same page that Moorhead left off at. I actually think the hire is going to look smart and the Fiesta Bowl was, to a certain extent, a great debut for Rahne. In terms of personnel that's really the million dollar question. Miles Sanders and Ricky Slade ought to be fine at running back, and a collection of possibilities ought to be serviceable at tight end, it's really just a matter of who be it Danny Dalton or someone farther down the chart. With McSorley back and the likes of Juwan Johnson and Justin Shorter out wide, Penn State's offense might have a hiccup or two, but all told even without Barkley, it should still be successful. The entire line, for the most part, is back as well, which has been a rarity for the program as of late.
Do the Nittany Lions have to replace any major contributors on defense, or is most of that unit set to return?
Ben Jones: Much like the offense this is group that has been gutted a bit by time. Marcus Allen, Grant Haley, Christian Campbell, Jason Cabinda, Troy Apke, the list goes on and on it feels like. The good news for Penn State is that the defense really rotates players throughout the game, so while some guys might not have as much time on the field as those starters, they aren't coming in completely green. This is really one of the big questions for Penn State, can they reload in areas on both sides of the ball, enough, to sustain their most recent success.
What's one question mark that the Nittany Lions still need to answer now that their spring camp is over?
Ben Jones: Can they do it? That's the big question. The talent is there, the recruiting is there, and enough of the big pieces are there but nobody really knows how it will go. Penn State's schedule isn't easy and on paper any team that has to replace that many key assets and has to do it with some new faces that haven't played tons, is going to have a tough go. The only saving grace is recruiting, but nobody will know how ready these guys are until they actually start to play.
Penn State has gone 22-5 over the last two seasons, winning a Big Ten title in 2016 and coming within striking distance of knocking off Ohio State for another division title last year. What do the Nittany Lions need to do in 2018 to not only get back to Indianapolis to play for another conference title, but also compete for a spot in the college football playoff?
Ben Jones: They're going to have to limit their mistakes. Last two years Penn State was able to make up for mistakes with talent and experience and skill. This year they have talent but they lack experience in some key areas. If they're going to win the Big Ten they'll have to either age quickly or avoid dumb errors. Again, the talent is there, but what can it do in its first year together. A great example is a guy like Micah Parsons. He's going to be an NFL linebacker and he hasn't played a snap of college football, but it might take him some time to get to that point. How long it takes him, and everyone else, will determine 2018. That being said, with McSorley and a few weapons still out there working, he might be able to carry the load himself and make up for it. We just won't know until they start to play.
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.
