Those who say that Penn State’s present-day predicament is the same as last season’s aren’t looking hard enough.
Yes, like 2017, the Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State by one point and followed it up with a soul-crushing loss to Michigan State that ended their College Football Playoff hopes. And like last year, Penn State led in the fourth quarter of both defeats, giving the losses a greater sting.
But the team that faces Indiana on Saturday is different than the one that won a Fiesta Bowl. And the road ahead of these Nittany Lions presents a far greater challenge than what James Franklin’s 2017 squad had to overcome.