With the transition from summer to fall comes the start of the college football season. Before long, it will be time to break out the travel grills, hop in the car, and watch your favorite boys suit up on the field. Here are the top five things to look forward to in the 2015 Penn State football season.
5. Another Winning Season
Bill O’Brien’s two short years with the Nittany Lions were both winning seasons, but James Franklin’s takeover has changed the way Penn State fans think about the season, as Paul Alberici, a senior Corporation Communications major at Penn State, made clear.
“For me, this seems like the real next chapter of Penn State football. Not to say that Coach O’Brien didn’t do a great job to keep Penn State relevant among the sanctions, but this is the first year since 2011 that the Nittany Lions have full scholarships and no bowl ban to start the year.”
There is more to a “winning season” than just winning games. The Lions have struggled the last few years with an incomplete roster, injuries, and postseason bans. Now that the punishments are over, Penn State is back on its way to being and feeling complete.
4. The Number One Student Section
In 2014, the NCAA made official what students have known for years and named Penn State the number one student section in the country. In a High Five video released last year, the Nittany Lions took the top spot over other football-centric schools like Texas A&M and Clemson.
Nate Nardelli, a junior at Penn State, grew up in the Penn State football tradition, but notes that the student section is unlike any other. “I always
grew up going to games, and it was amazing to be outside the student section, but being in the student section has been the craziest experience of my life. Better than any other sporting event. You can’t get better than 21,000 screaming kids in a White Out game.”
Beaver Stadium is loud, and that’s mostly due to the students who stand together behind the south goalpost. Traditions like “Sweet Caroline,” the S-Zone, and the ever famous “Zombie Nation” keep the students engaged in the game and keep the football team motivated. The ground surrounding the stadium literally shakes with the passion of Penn Staters.
As Nardelli pointed out, “Losing my voice after each game because I’m yelling so much is probably my favorite part of the game.”
3. Ohio State Rematch
Ask Penn Staters what their number one regret of the 2014 season is, and they’ll likely say the loss to Ohio State. It was a home game, the Lions had battled back from a 17-point deficit and several questionable calls to tie the Buckeyes and go to a double overtime, only to give up a sack on quarterback Christian Hackenberg with seconds remaining.
Perhaps the most painful part of the loss was that fans got to catch a glimpse of the “real” Nittany Lions in the second half when the team rallied against the Buckeyes. After struggling with inconsistency and an incomplete, injured and inexperienced team, Penn State had unexpectedly dropped several games. With the Ohio State game, fans had the chance to see the Lions topple one of their greatest rivals, after watching the team finally get it together, only to have the opportunity ripped away.
Lions fans are hungry for a win against the Buckeyes, and they have a chance for vengeance this year.
2. Better Offensive Line
One of the contributing factors to the Ohio State loss was the Penn State offensive line, or really, lack thereof. The offense was unpredictable through the entire season, but the struggles were highlighted during offensive drives.
Quarterback Christian Hackenberg took a punishing 44 sacks in the 2014 season, the result of a holey and largely inexperienced o-line. In 2015 (and beyond), fans can look forward to a deeper, more cultivated line as the three- four- and five-star recruits that Franklin has brought into the fold step into their roles.
The Nittany Lions’ offensive line will likely be closely watched and the topic of much debate as the team continues to build a dominating football team.
1. Saturdays at Beaver Stadium
Every Penn State fan in the world knows that the atmosphere of Beaver Stadium can’t be beat. With more than 106,000 fans at nearly every home game last year, the air practically crackles with passion for the Nittany Lions. Members of visiting teams have alluded to the intimidation factor of playing at Beaver Stadium, including Urban Meyer calling it a “top three” atmosphere and saying that “it can’t get louder.”
The Penn State football tradition is rooted in students, fans, and faculty coming together every Saturday and standing as one community behind a group of young men in nameless jerseys.
Nardelli firmly voiced his support of the football team, saying that while other sports were and are successful at Penn State, football is the dominant culture.
“I feel like Joe Paterno made Penn State Penn State, and I think it started with football.”
Alberici, a student at Penn State Brandywine, affirmed that the passion for Nittany Lions football doesn’t die due to geographic dispersion.
“No matter what campus students hail from, whether it is 20 minutes from University Park or three hours, there is a passion and a fire for the football team. I can speak as Brandywine student and say we have that same intense rivalry with the Wolverines and the Buckeyes football teams as much as any other campus.”
For Penn State football fans, the months between November and September, the months with no tailgates, no Zombie Nation, and no Blue Band are some of the longest of the year, and finally getting to return to the legendary walls of the Stadium is like coming home.
Don’t agree with this reporter’s choices? Have your own ideas about what to look forward to? Leave them in the comments or take to Twitter to voice your opinions!
Photo Credits
Main Image: fbsschedules.com
Inset 1: OnwardState.com
Inset 2: NittanyLionsDen.com
