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‘Decision-making’ process has elevated Allar

Following are the highlights of James Franklin’s Tuesday press conference: Saturday’s game: vs. WVU, 7:30 p.m., NBC) Odds: Penn State is a 20.5-point favorite. Records: Season opener for both teams. Last year: Penn State finished 11-2 and ranked No. 7 by the Associated Press. West Virginia went 5-7 but won two of its last three, beating Oklahoma and winning its season finale at Oklahoma State. Rankings: Penn State is ranked No. 7 by AP. Main storyline: Franklin knows his starting quarterback (Drew Allar) but is not confirming it publicly because “I don’t necessarily see ...

Allar could be most important Lion in ’23

The Associated Press The expectations for Drew Allar are even bigger than the Penn State quarterback himself — which is saying something about a guy who sees eye-to-eye with the star offensive tackle who protects his blindside. Allar’s pregame warm-ups have made grown men swoon. He played one series in a competitive game as a freshmen in 2022, throwing four passes in a possession that netted no points at Purdue, yet the performance drew raves from coaches and teammates. One side-arm flick by Allar during the spring game sent a surge of excitement through Penn State fans. “I ...

Sports at a glance

‘NitWits’ back on television Nittany Nation Overtime, featuring the “NitWits,” debuts Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WTAJ-TV. The program, now in its 26th year, is a roundtable discussion about Penn State football and will follow the WTAJ late news through the season. Regular panelists are Neil Rudel of the Mirror, Mark Brennan of Lions 247 with FightonState.com, WTAJ hosts Andrew Clay and Ryan Risky and a former Nittany Lion player each week. This week’s guest is Joe Nastasi.

Harbaugh suspended 3 games

The Associated Press Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will serve a three-game suspension to start this season as part of self-imposed penalties for NCAA recruiting infractions. The suspension announced Monday will take Harbaugh off the sideline for the second-ranked Wolverines’ home games against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green. He will be permitted to coach the team during the week, as per NCAA rules. “While the ongoing NCAA matter continues through the NCAA process, today’s announcement is our way of addressing mistakes that our department has agreed to in an attempt to ...

PSU POSITION SERIES: Special teams

Position: Special teams (Ninth and last in a series of Penn State position previews.) Returning starters: There isn’t a lot coming back anywhere, other than Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen as kick returners. Singleton returned one kickoff back for a 100-yard touchdown last year. Omari Evans and Daequan Hardy also had limited time as punt returners. Key losses: Barney Amor did a fine job as last year’s punter, pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 22 times. Jake Pinegar was 12-for-16 as the team’s placekicker. Parker Washington did most of the punt return duties. Chris ...

Wildcats alumni speak up

The Associated Press EVANSTON, Ill. — Approximately 1,000 former Northwestern University athletes sent a letter condemning hazing while defending the school’s culture, saying allegations of abuse within the football program and other men’s and women’s teams do not reflect their experiences. “We strongly condemn hazing in any form and firmly believe it has no place in collegiate sports or, for that matter, in university life, period,” the letter obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday reads. “The allegations being made are troubling and we support the University’s ...