2011 Penn State Football Predictions, Odds, Picks and Schedule – 2011 Penn St Nittany Lions Football Preview

2011 Penn State College Football Expert Predictions, Picks, Vegas Odds and Schedule – Penn St Nittany Lions NCAA Football Preview: In 2009, Penn State finished the year 11-2. Last season, the Nittany Lions struggled to a 7-6 record as the team looked to be in disarray on offense. Joe Paterno has performed miracles before, but the ageless wonder could have his work cut out for him this season. Fans in Happy Valley are used to competing for Big Ten titles, and the inconsistency the program has shown the last few seasons is far from an encouraging sign. The Nittany Lions need to improve, and they need to improve in hurry or risk falling further behind in an improving conference.

The quarterback position was the main issue for Penn State throughout the 2010-11 season. Matt McGloin ultimately emerged as the starter, finishing the year with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He seemed to find his stride late in the year, but he suffered a big setback in the Outback Bowl against Florida. McGloin fired five interceptions in a loss to the Gators, leaving his prospects for the 2011-12 campaign in doubt. The good news for Penn State is that McGloin has a year of experience running the offense. The bad news is that his upside may be nothing more than mediocrity.

McGloin and the rest of the offense would benefit from improved play by the offensive line. The group underperformed last season, and although three starters are back, All-American Stefen Wisniewski is not among them. The Nittany Lions’ offensive front was abused by the top teams in the conference, shortening the time McGloin had to stand in the pocket and limiting the running game. The seemingly declining performance of running back Stephfon Green didn’t help the offense either. His yardage has decreased in every year he has been at Penn State, and as the only experienced option, he has to step up if the offense is going to be more than a 20-25 points per game unit.

Defensively, the Nittany Lions held their own, but it was far from the most dominant group fielded by Linebacker U. Michael Mauti is being tabbed as the leader of the linebacking core, but the defense as a whole probably won’t be much better or worse than last season. Much like the offensive line, the defensive front struggled against the better teams last season. In fact, Penn State lost all four games it played against top 20 opponents.

The schedule isn’t exactly stacked, but it may not have to be to give the Nittany Lions trouble. Penn State has to play a loaded Alabama team the second week of the year, but the out-of-conference schedule is otherwise easy. Once Big Ten play begins, home games against Iowa and Nebraska and road games against Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin are all tough matchups for Paterno’s team. The final three games of the year are a particularly brutal stretch as the Nittany Lions face the Cornhuskers, Buckeyes and Badgers in order.

A year has passed, but the same problems exist for Penn State. The team really doesn’t have a quarterback, the offensive line is shaky, and the skill positions don’t have a lot of playmakers. Defensively, a lot of starters are back on unit that was good but not great. The Nittany Lion defense will keep the team in some of the closer games, but the offense probably won’t carry its weight. In the end, Penn State should find a way to become bowl eligible, but this group will likely struggle against the top teams in the conference once again. It is shaping up to be another long year in Happy Valley.

2011 Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Predictions: 6-6 Record

Preseason 2011 Penn State NCAA Football Odds:
Odds to Win 2012 BCS Championship: +2500
Odds to Win 2011 Big Ten Championship: +450
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2011 Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Schedule
Sat, Sep 3 Indiana State 12:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 10 Alabama 3:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 17 at Temple 12:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 24 Eastern Michigan TBA —
Sat, Oct 1 at Indiana TBA —
Sat, Oct 8 Iowa TBA —
Sat, Oct 15 Purdue 12:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 22 at Northwestern 7:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 29 Illinois TBA —
Sat, Nov 12 Nebraska TBA —
Sat, Nov 19 at Ohio State TBA —
Sat, Nov 26 at Wisconsin TBA —

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