Penn State Football: 5 Bold Predictions for the 2011 Season
The Penn State Nittany Lions enter 2011 looking to rebound from a disappointing 7-6 record in their 2010 campaign.
In order for Joe Pa's bunch to right the ship in 2011, the quarterback position will need to be solidified and playmakers will need to emerge on both sides of the ball.
The Big Ten will be up for grabs with several Ohio State stars suspended for five games to start the year, including Terrelle Pryor.
However, the question is, will the Nittany Lions be the team to rise to the top?
Here are five bold predictions for the 2011 season in Happy Valley:
Sillas Redd Will Be an All-Conference Running Back
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Entering Happy Valley as a highly-touted freshman hailing from Connecticut, Silas Redd did not disappoint in his freshman season.
While being used in a complementary role to Evan Royster in 2010, Redd racked up over 400 yards rushing at a clip of almost six yards per carry. Redd managed to provide a change of pace and an explosiveness to the Nittany Lions' offense that it lacked otherwise.
In 2011, look for Redd to get the bulk of the carries coming out of the backfield, and to continue to slash through opponents as he continues to hone his skills as an upper-echelon collegiate ball carrier.
2011 Statistical Prediction: 203 carries, 1,057 yards, 5.2 YPC, 13 TD
Robert Bolden Will Start Every Game at Quarterback
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To begin 2010, true freshman Robert Bolden was handed the reins to the offense from day one.
However, Bolden would struggle early and often for the Nittany Lions, finishing the season with just five touchdowns and failing to start the final six games of the season.
While Bolden's talent is hard to argue, he failed to be a leader and manage the offense the way a quarterback is supposed to. Some of those struggles can be attributed to his youth and inexperience, and that should be less apparent in 2011.
Coming off an offseason that included transfer rumors and a continuous quarterback competition with Matt McGloin, look for Bolden to enter 2011 with a chip on his shoulder.
A major piece to the success of the Nittany Lions in 2011 will be consistency under center. If Bolden can use that chip on his shoulder to better himself as a player and use his experience from last year to correct his mental mistakes, Penn State could have a big bounce back season in Beaver Stadium.
2011 Statistical Prediction: 2,200 yards, 24 TD, 9 INT
Penn State Will Beat Alabama in Beaver Stadium
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In 2010, Penn State traveled to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 2 of the season. The game would go as most expected, with Alabama beating up on Penn State to the tune of 24-3.
The Crimson Tide will travel to Happy Valley in 2011, once again in Week 2 of the season, and the Nittany Lions will be looking to make a major splash in front of a raucous Penn State crowd.
Expect the more experienced Penn State offense to limit turnovers and find a way to stretch the field, unlike the 2010 matchup in which Penn State was limited to 156 yards passing.
The Penn State defense will also be more experienced and will be able to bottle up Heisman contender Trent Richardson much better than his 144-yard performance against the usually stout Penn State front seven in 2010.
Couple that with the fact that the Crimson Tide will be breaking in a new signal-caller, and the Penn State defense will be able to make enough plays to keep the Alabama defense on the field.
If Penn State can light a fire early and hit a few big plays down field, look for the Nittany Lions to do just enough to knock off the powerhouse Crimson Tide and score a huge early-season victory.
Final Score Prediction: 23-21, Penn State wins.
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Penn State Will Beat the Iowa Hawkeyes
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While this may not sound all that bold, at this point anyone associated with Penn State football knows the problems the Hawkeyes have presented in the recent past for the Nittany Lions.
Iowa has beaten Penn State in three consecutive matchups. Whether the losses are heartbreaking, such as the Darryl Clark interception in 2008, or the one-sided 24-3 defeat in 2010, Penn State has a bitter taste in their mouths when it comes to this budding Big Ten rivalry.
The Nittany Lions will change all that in 2011.
Beaver Stadium will be rocking when these two teams square off on October 8. The Hawkeyes will be playing with a new quarterback with Ricky Stanzi now graduated, and they will also be replacing key defensive contributors such as Adrian Clayborn and underrated safety Tyler Sash.
Add that to the more experienced and more explosive Penn State team and Happy Valley will be able to celebrate after this much-anticipated Big Ten matchup.
Final Score Prediction: 27-23, Penn State wins.
Penn State Will Win 10 Games
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Joe Paterno currently sits at the 401 win mark for his career.
Expect that number to improve to 411 by the end of 2011.
The offense will be much improved with consistency at the quarterback position, a deep stable of receivers led by Derek Moye to look for downfield, and another explosive running back lining up in the Penn State backfield.
The only real question mark is the offensive line, which was shaky in 2010 and will have to replace their best player in Stefan Wisniewski.
The defense will return to typical Penn State form. Michael Mauti, along with Khari Fortt will create a linebacker combination similar to Sean Lee and Navarro Bowman in 2009. Players like Nick Sukay, Derrick Thomas and Drew Astorino return to the Penn State secondary with one more year of experience under their belts.
All of these factors should result in a fun-filled and exciting season in State College, PA, in which Penn State wins 10 games and has the bounce-back season fans, players and coaches are all hoping for.
If the offensive line holds up, who knows? It could be more.
Predicted Wins: Indiana State, Alabama, Temple, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
