James Franklin was cheerful as he walked from the lawn into the locker room after a 33-30 win over USC last weekend. And he should be. Penn State is 6-0 with a No. 3 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. If the Nittany Lions win the rest of the games they should win, all signs point to a College Football Playoff debut, even if they fall at home to Ohio State on Nov. 2.

After a bye week, Penn State will play six more regular season games before a committee decides the fate of the program’s playoffs. Everything will be discussed surrounding the Nittany Lions’ qualification as not only a playoff team, but also their placement within the 12-team format. The good, the bad, the ugly – everything.

What did we learn about this year’s Penn State team midway through the season?

The good:

Allar, Kotelnicki meant it for each other

There was no bigger question mark in the offseason. Quarterback Drew Allar’s performance in his second season as a starter and his improvement under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki were always going to be the difference-makers in 2024. After six games, Kotelnicki’s system seems to be working perfectly, not just for Allar, but for Allar. the whole crime.

A lack of explosiveness ultimately was the Nittany Lions’ biggest weakness in an oh-so-close 10-3 season in 2023. With Kotelnicki on board, that area has become perhaps the team’s biggest selling point.

Penn State ranks seventh nationally at 7.1 yards per play, a statistic that highlights the growth Allar, his receivers and running backs have made in generating big plays under Kotelnicki. Even when faced with adversity, Allar has not wavered, and neither has Kotelnicki, who has dug deep into his tricks no matter the score or the situation.

Warren nation’s best TE

It’s no longer an argument. Tyler Warren is the best tight end in the country. And so far, he’s Kotelnicki’s biggest offensive weapon. Warren has snapped, run, thrown and caught the ball this season. He is the ultimate cheat code who seems to outdo himself every game. For example, he literally broke his own record for receiving yards by a tight end at Penn State with 224 against the Trojans.

The Nittany Lions’ wide receivers have improved, but not overwhelmingly, under Kotelnicki’s leadership. That said, they didn’t really need to do that because Warren is the team’s true No. 1 receiver despite being a tight end.

Defense in the third quarter

There isn’t a better team in the country that can keep opponents at bay in the third quarter. Just like at USC or against Bowling Green, there have been times when the Nittany Lions needed space for a comeback early in the second half. And the defense, led by new coordinator Tom Allen, has provided just that spark.

That’s not to say Allen’s defense hasn’t struggled at times, because it certainly has, at least more than any unit under previous defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. But it wasn’t until last weekend that Penn State allowed a third quarter point in 2024, and that’s a big reason why the team remains undefeated despite early-game scares.

Singletons regained explosiveness

For whatever reason, running back Nick Singleton didn’t have nearly the same explosiveness in 2023 as he did the year before as a true freshman. Under Kotelnicki, the dominant Singleton is back in form. Singleton has rushed for 434 yards and scored six total touchdowns in five games played this year, and currently ranks third in the Big Ten with 6.9 yards per carry.

Singleton’s impact is clear. Penn State rushed for a season-low 85 yards against UCLA, a game Singleton missed with an injury. Perhaps not entirely healthy against the Trojans last weekend, Singleton rushed for a season-low 26 yards, putting more pressure on the passing offense to carry the weight.

Clearly, if the Nittany Lions want to win big, they need their star to play like he did through the first four games of the year.

The bad:

Starts slowly

Penn State has found a way to close out each of its six games, but a slow start has plagued the team and made things closer than they needed to be. The Nittany Lions have gone into halftime with a lead just three times this year, having trailed both USC and Bowling Green to tie with Illinois at halftime.

They also finished the first quarter scoreless, drawing against West Virginia and UCLA.

Kotelnicki’s system has improved an otherwise struggling offense from last season, but Penn State is still tied for No. 90 in the country in scoring, averaging four first-quarter points per game. Just like in 2016, the Nittany Lions establish themselves as a team in the second half. But that will have to change if they want to beat the Buckeyes.

Injuries

Two weeks ago, Penn State was the second-most injured team in the Big Ten, according to the conference’s availability report. Football is a very physical sport and injuries happen, but the significant amount of injuries has seriously hurt the Nittany Lions through six games.

There is no injury that stands out more than the injury that Kevin Winston Jr. suffered. against Bowling Green on September 7. Winston was arguably the team’s best defensive player and his absence has shaken up the already small safety room. Jaylen Reed, who was pegged to play nickel corner, has returned to safety, where he and Zakee Wheatley have played extensively.

Along with Winston, tight end Andrew Rappleyea and running back Cam Wallace have also suffered “long-term” injuries. Kaden Saunders, the team’s starting kicker through the first four games of the year, has missed the past two games due to injury and was previously not healthy enough to appear at his traditional position, wide receiver.

As previously mentioned, Singleton has missed time, as has starting linebacker Dominic DeLuca, whose snaps have been limited since returning against the Bruins on Oct. 5.

The third linebacker

Kobe King has excelled this season, not only in the stats, but also as the vocal quarterback the defense Franklin so desperately needed. Next to him, Tony Rojas has done his job, but the other linebacker spot has been a revolving door that has emerged as the defense’s biggest question mark entering the second half of the year.

DeLuca’s role as a leader cannot be understated, whether on defense or special teams. But through six games, he has struggled, both when healthy and when returning from injury. DeLuca currently has a defensive grade of 61, per Pro Football Focus – the lowest among all defensive starters.

Tyler Elsdon, who has been sharing photos with DeLuca all year, has had an even tougher time. Elsdon clearly lacked the speed needed to consistently stop high-powered offenses, and he missed tackles his defense needed. In the second half of the year, Franklin and Allen may want to consider giving DaKaari Nelson, Ta’Mere Robinson or Anthony Speca more playing time.