Are the Penn State Nittany Lions For Real?

Royster offers great field vision and has proved to be a workhorse so far this season, averaging almost 100 yards every game.  He is complimented by freshman Stephfon Green, who has already emerged as a big-play threat early this season.  The running game is definitely strong and is capable of wearing down a team late.

"Ok, so Penn State's offense is impressive... so what?  That means nothing without a defense."  Hold your horses, my friend.

The Penn State defense proves to be strong this year as well.  After all, you don't earn the nickname "Linebacker U" without at least being able to stop somebody here and there.  Although this year's Penn State defense sort of takes the "no name" defense kind of feel, they have still played solid thus far. 

While linebacker Sean Lee's injury departure will most likely hurt the Lions more as the season progresses, the play of senior safety Anthony Scirrotto has made up for the loss in part with his stellar play.  Scirrotto has played well in both the secondary and as a run stopper, acting almost as an extra linebacker. 

Scirrotto's secondary mates include Lydell Sargeant, AJ Wallace, and Tony Davis, who all had ups and downs last season.  Wallace is probably the most athletic of the group, possessing solid speed and capabilities as a corner.

Sargeant's coverage ability was spotty at best last season, but he is a tremendous open field tackler which minimizes yards after the catch and helps the run defense.  Davis is a senior who has played well thus far this season.

The Nittany Lion linebackers are once again above average.  As mentioned above, Sean Lee is unable to perform this year; however, others have stepped up this season.

Outside linebacker Tyrell Sales anchors the crew, a senior who has been overshadowed in his PSU career by names like Pozluzny, Connor, and Lee.  Junior outside linebacker Bani Gbadyu has also played well so far this season, stopping runs before they start.

The defensive line looks to be the Lions' biggest problem defensively this season.  Not because of lack of ability, but because of careless off-field decisions.  Maurice Evans was supposed to anchor this year's defensive line as a playmaker upfront, but due to off-field troubles; his status for the rest of the season is unclear. 

The same goes for junior DT Abe Koroma whose status is also in the air from the same altercation.  Senior Josh Gaines is still around, however, and poised for a solid campaign.

Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu could also step up at the tackle position this season.  The troubles of the line have not hurt the Lions yet, as they have played with the lead all season.  This could be a great flaw in a closer game in the future.

Now that we've analyzed the Lions' team, let's look at their opposition.

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