5 reasons for concern for Penn State in Week 12

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Over the past two weeks, Penn State not only had to face the best that the Big Ten had to offer, but also the best the nation had to offer. And despite having the lead against the No. 2 team in the nation with a little under two minutes to play last weekend, the fact that it quickly turned into a loss stings far more than what transpired early in the season.

Now, however, they have an easy end to their gauntlet of a slate, going on the road to face off against a Michigan State squad that has struggled to find its own identity all season. Still, there are players on their roster that will challenge Penn State, much like they’ve been challenged by over the past two weeks. Here are five reasons Penn State should be concerned about the feisty Spartans.

Penn State’s porous offensive line

While we have talked about Penn State’s offensive line being able to remain disciplined this season, we still haven’t discussed how porous it has been this season. Whether it be Drew Allar or Ethan Grunkemeyer running the offense, the O-line hasn’t held up in pass protection as much as one would like.

Penn State’s offensive line has already given up 17 sacks this season, and although Grunkemeyer probably had the best start of his career last week, they still showed some vulnerabilities. This has to be in the back of the minds of a Michigan State defense that really hasn’t come alive at all this season. If they can generate pressure on Grunk, chances are they can also generate some negative plays for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State’s struggling passing offense

This goes hand in hand with the O-line’s struggles, but in reality, it stems from the fact that the offensive play calling has been stagnant. There haven’t been any signs of effective play from the wide receivers, nor have the quarterbacks proven they can get the ball to them efficiently. It has happened with both Allar and Grunkemeyer.

That has seen Penn State plummet to 14th in the Big Ten in passing yards per game, averaging only 184.7. ypg Michigan State’s pass defense hasn’t been elite either, but if Grunkemeyer doesn’t maintain the level of play he showed in the second half of the Indiana game, they may not need to worry.

Michigan State’s platooning quarterbacks

Amidst an identity crisis midseason, Michigan State decided to experiment a bit. Instead of just having Aidan Chiles start games from start to finish, they decided to implement a platoon system with Alessio Milivojevic, a redshirt freshman who only played two snaps last season. Needless to say, the experiment has paid off.

While Aidan Chiles thrives when he is a dual threat, rushing for 227 yards and 6 touchdowns this season, Milivojevic has been the calm and collected pocket passer who Penn State may need to account for. This may just have been down to Chiles’ rocky start to the year and him getting a much-needed reset during the bye week, but Penn State may need to be prepared for any situation.

MSU’s championship-caliber receivers

For a team that is squarely .500 in the Big Ten standings, you would think most of their players are pretty average. And yet, when it comes to the receiving corps, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nick Marsh may be the best receiver that none outside of Big Ten fans have heard of.

As a freshman last year, he broke the Michigan State record for most receiving yards and receptions for a freshman ever. This year, he already has 554 yards off of 46 receptions. And he is not alone. While Omari Kelly only has 1 touchdown in the receiving game, he has a similar yardage total and is a huge factor on special teams, with a 90-yard punt return this season. Penn State’s secondary will not be let off the hook yet again.

Penn State’s “mental block”

You would have to think this comes into play for Penn State regardless of the opponent. In fact, every game outside of the Ohio State loss over the past six weeks can be used as a reference point. They were so close to a spirited comeback against Oregon in Week 4, only for the game in a thud in overtime. Last week against Indiana, they couldn’t capitalize on a sack on the first play of Indiana’s game-winning drive. And losses to both Northwestern and UCLA proved that they can lose to anyone, no matter their record. This all adds up to a certain level of frustration that everyone involved with the program must feel amidst a lost season. Even with a chance at redemption and bowl eligibility, that thought still lingers. And they can’t afford to let it affect their game in any way.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Top 5 reasons for concern for Penn State vs. Michigan State

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