Let’s say for a second that Penn State starts out 6-0.
That’s a world where Penn State has beaten six teams that have more questions than answers. Six teams that even Penn State’s still technically unproven offense should be able to navigate through.
It’s four wins over lesser out of conference foes and two wins against Big Ten teams who are easily the lesser squad on paper. Only one win on the road and that game is still so close the Nittany Lions will bus to it.
To be sure, starting out 6-0 is itself a noteworthy task. For a program that has battled to stay over .500 through the sanction era, picking up wins in bulk isn’t anything to laugh at. if nothing else winning is simply not a step backwards, even if the wins aren’t against the greatest teams in the nation, winning is always just avoiding the fallout of losing.
Even in that light though the record will only tell half the story.
If Penn State goes 6-0 (for the 6th time since 1990) the more important question will be how they looked in the process. Winning is great, looking good doing it, or at least improving a long the way can be much more telling. Perhaps the biggest unanswered question of the year, if the Nittany Lions are experienced enough to avoid the losses they shouldn’t have. If this team has graduated from fortunate into something more purposeful.
Did they win because they were better, or did they win because they are good?
The answer to that question is what really matters for James Franklin and Penn State football. Aside from the technically cosmic possibility that Penn State wins a national title or the conference, the 2015-16 season isn’t about anything more than moving forward another few steps. It’s all about getting the engine running at a higher and higher RPM.
Penn State will play the games and the program will attack each week like there is something bigger and better down the road. But right now, all that matters is getting a full head of steam into the future. That’s not to discredit the potential a new season holds but rather to put things into perspective.
In all likelihood Penn State will finish the year somewhere below the most optimistic (but not impossible) 10-2 forecasts. The Nittany Lions will be better, but they probably won’t be able to avoid a bump in the road. If nothing else, winning 10 games simply isn’t easy or even all that common.
So as you watch Penn State hit the field over the next few weeks, keep an eye on how the Nittany Lions look on the field more than how they look in the standings.
If they look the part, then maybe you can start saving up for one of those nicer bowl trips.
If they’re just getting by, there’s no shame in a last minute booking.
