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Neil Rudel's Commentary

Warren’s emergence establishes standard for TEs

When Tyler Warren announced after last year’s Peach Bowl that he’d be returning for the 2024 season, it was good news and an important piece for the Nittany Lions’ offense. But no one could have anticipated that Warren would become a record-setting, generational player at the tight end position who would be in the Heisman Trophy conversation (he finished seventh) throughout the season. Warren made 34 catches last year while splitting opportunities with future NFL draft pick Theo Johnson. This season, he made 92 catches for 1095 yards — both PSU season records for a tight ...

Defense keeping Nittany Lions on their toes

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State’s first-round victory over SMU in the College Football Playoff on Saturday may have proven more about the Mustangs than it did about the Nittany Lions. As was the case in Notre Dame’s win over Indiana on Friday ...

Won’t feel quite like normal home game

Some nitpicking as the Nittany Lions embark on the CFP: One of the sidebars of Saturday’s game will be the atmosphere. Contributing factors include pricing — for tickets, parking and certainly hotels — the colder weather, the Christmas/holiday season, fewer students, potential more ...

Would you rather PSU had beaten Oregon or landed in this bracket? Yes, it would have shifted narrative, made Nits No. 1

There’s no question Penn State has the most favorable draw in the College Football Playoff field. The Nittany Lions are heavily favored — by 8.5 points — to beat SMU in the first round at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Penn State should benefit from the cold weather that is foreign to the Mustangs. Should PSU hold serve and advance to the national quarterfinals, their reward is even better — a Boise State team that somehow gained the No. 3 seed in the entire field. Penn State is already a two-touchdown favorite in that game should the matchup materialize. But I still will ...

Pribula’s audible leaves Lions thin at QB

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State finds itself in the unenviable position of embarking on the College Football Playoff without a backup quarterback who has taken a single live-game snap. Which means it sure better keep starter Drew Allar healthy for as long as the season lasts. The urgency of ...

Player, coach movement kicking in

Some notes to digest as the Nittany Lions gear up for their first College Football Playoff appearance: n This is attrition season in college football, and it started for Penn State on Thursday with the announcement that safety Kevin Winston Jr. will enter the NFL Draft. Winston missed almost the entire year with a knee injury that required surgery after he left the Bowling Green game on Sept. 7. He was voted a team captain as a junior after a strong 2023 season, and his presence with Jaylen Reed gave the Lions two dynamic safeties. Winston’s absence was particularly noticeable ...