Spring opponent review: Penn State

Penn State ended up pulling off one of the more improbable seasons in some time last year, going 11-3, winning the Big Ten Championship and earning a berth to the Rose Bowl.

Looking ahead to 2017, expectations are as high as ever for the Nittany Lions. With nearly every starter back from last year's roster, PSU has its sights set on another conference title and more.

To get an idea of where things stand with Penn State coming out of spring ball, we caught up with BlueWhiteIllustrated.com's Nate Bauer to get his thoughts and perspective on the team.

Previous Spring Opponent Reviews: Arkansas State | Oregon | Northern Illinois | Rutgers | Illinois | Wisconsin | Ohio State | Purdue | Northwestern | Minnesota

For the first time in nearly two decades, Penn State enters the season with the legitimate exception - both from inside and outside of the program - to be a leading contender for a Big Ten championship in 2017.

After their remarkable run to a league title last year, the Nittany Lions return some of their top offensive playmakers and a stout defense, helping them earn lofty preseason predictions from national media.

Star running back and early Heisman Trophy candidate Saquan Barkely is back, as is quarterback and Big Ten Championship Game MVP Trace McSorely.

However, PSU is still searching to find a replacement for last year’s go-to receiver Chris Godwin, who ended his career as one of the most productive wide outs in school history and was drafted in the third round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On the other side of the ball, the main focus was trying to lock down a clear pecking order and rotation at defensive end and in the secondary.

More than anything, though, the biggest storyline this offseason will be whether the Nittany Lions can replicate last year’s improbable run to the Rose Bowl now with the pressure of having to meet a much higher bar of expectations.

Barkley and McSorely deservedly got the bulk of the attention this spring, but Penn State brings back a wealth of other offensive talent around them from last year’s squad.

Senior tight end Mike Gesicki is back, and the offensive line lost two veteran players but replaces them with arguably more talented younger linemen.

The defense may hold some of the biggest question marks for PSU at this point. The Nittany Lions lost some key seniors like linebacker Brandon Bell and defensive end Garrett Sickels, and then this spring lost top cornerback John Reid to a torn ACL.

Even so, the hope is that the young depth coming up the ranks will be able to step up and make it a seamless transition on the defensive side of the ball.

This one really goes without saying.

A third-team All-American as well as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year in 2016, junior Saquon Barkley enters this season as one of the best players in all of college football.

With a loaded offense around him, folks in Happy Valley are counting on maybe an even bigger year in 2017 from the Coplay, Pa., native.

As Bauer put it: “There is no mountain high enough in terms of what the expectations are for him.”

Barkley is one of the frontrunners for the Heiman Trophy this year and already has NFL scouts drooling over his pro potential, so there’s a good chance this might be his final season as a Nittany Lion if he can come even close to achieving those expectations.

There are some holes to fill at defensive end and linebacker, but Penn State should be set at safety with maybe its best overall defensive player in senior Marcus Allen.

After turning down a chance to potentially jump to the NFL after last season, the 6-foot-2, 202-pound Allen returns to PSU having earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2016.

What’s interesting is that Allen has yet to record an interception in his three seasons as a Nittany Lion, but he’s more than made up for it by forcing and recovering fumbles, blocking kicks and being one of the team’s top tacklers.

One of his most impressive efforts came last year against Minnesota, when he racked up 22 total tackles for the third-highest single-game total in all of FBS in 2016.

The quest to replace Godwin as the new No. 1 wide receiver began this spring with senior Saeed Blacknall expected to be the top candidate for the job.

But Blacknall suffered an injury during spring ball that opened the window even wider for other receivers to step up, and junior Juwan Johnson took advantage as much as anyone.

A redshirt sophomore who’s played almost entirely on special teams, Johnson is a big, physical receiver (6-4, 218) who hasn’t really had a chance to show himself on offense.

Johnson definitely made the most of the few opportunities he did get last season, catching two passes for 70 yards.

After an impressive spring, Johnson is now well on his way to becoming a major factor in the Nittany Lions’ passing game in 2017.

While Penn State may have one of its safety positions locked in with Allen, the other spot is still a long way from being determined.

Senior Nick Scott and junior Ayron Monroe went head-to-head for the job this spring, and there wasn’t much separation at all by the time the spring game wrapped up.

Seeing how Scott and Monroe have a combined one career start between them, there will be some inexperience to overcome with whomever wins the starting role.

The biggest question facing Penn State this spring was one that won’t be able to be answered until the season actually gets underway this fall.

Most national media outlets are projecting the Nittany Lions as a preseason top-10 team with 10-2 serving as the low end for the final record.

Needless to say, there is some major pressure building around State College for PSU to meet those lofty expectations.

Can head coach James Franklin’s squad live up to the hype? Or is Penn State due for a disappointing step back?

Bauer: “It’s tough, because I don’t know anything about Nebraska. But, I would anticipate given the way both of these teams played last season that it’ll be a pretty good game.

"I really do think that the history between these two programs, it never fails that it’s an entertaining game and that it’s a hard-fought, competitive atmosphere.

"If there’s stuff on the line for both of these teams, which I anticipate that there will be, you can bet that Beaver Stadium will be a pretty hyped-up place for that game.”

Bauer: “I’m going to say I think 10-2 is probably pretty reasonable. I think they’re going to trip up somewhere.

"I don’t know where, but they’ll trip up to a team that they don’t expect to lose to. Then I think at Ohio State is maybe one of the toughest draws you can get on a schedule. So that will probably be it.”