Penn State Has Made History Throughout First Two Games Of CFB Season
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There's a lot to dissect about how Penn State has played over the first two weeks of the season, and while the Nittany Lions haven't exactly been great, there have still been some bright spots.
To say Penn State has been terrible would be wrong. Ultimately, it has done what it had to do. Penn State was able to come away with a 45-0 win against Marshall and a 27-9 victory against Temple.
Instead of making that more than it has to be, we should be somewhat content that the team is 2-0 and facing a Buffalo team it should beat.
Regarding the defense, there's a lot to like about what Penn State has shown on that side. The defense wasn't perfect against Temple, but it still did the job.
Temple had only 283 total yards, including 107 passing yards. Penn State didn't exactly play great in terms of run defense, allowing two running backs to finish with more than 71 yards each, with Temple rushing for 176 yards as a team.
However, this is the first time that Penn State has allowed nine points or fewer in the first two games of a season since 1998, and that should be viewed as a positive.
“The Nittany Lions have given up only nine points total so far, their fewest allowed through two games since 1998, according to ESPN Research. Tougher tests obviously await, but this revamped defense under first-year defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, appears to be legitimate.
“After shutting out Marshall, Penn State didn't allow Temple to score a touchdown until there was less than two minutes left. Lynn had begun turning around the USC defense before joining Campbell and returning to his alma mater. If Lynn's defense keeps performing this way, Penn State will be heard from in the Big Ten title race,” Jake Trotter of ESPN wrote.
Penn State's biggest tests will come during Big Ten play over the next couple of weeks. In its first Big Ten game of the season, Penn State will host Wisconsin in a game it should win.
Outside of its games against USC and Michigan, there's really no reason for Penn State's defense not to be elite.
USC and Michigan look pretty good, with both currently ranked in the top 20. Outside of that, however, Penn State's defense should be more than fine considering the teams it's playing.
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