Bill O’Brien knows that teams will be ready to face Penn State’s dynamic and multi-pronged attack and that means things will have to change in year numbers two.
“Last year was the foundation for the offense. We have to add more because our opponents have seen it for a year,” O’Brien said today. “We’re a different team. Whoever the quarterback is will be a different guy … We’ve added and we’ve adapted (the playbook) to the type of team we have.”
“We’ve added more to our language,” O’Brien said. “I think the quarterbacks have adapted well. I think it’s all about how hard you work at leaning at it, and how good of a job you do at teaching it.”
For Penn State and O’Brien the success of the 2013 season in large part will have to do with the ability of a new quarterback to learn the offense. With three different names in the running it’s a physical competition as much as it is a mental one. Both Steven Bench and Tyler Ferguson will have a significant head start on summer-enrolling freshman Christian Hackenberg.
“Really, I can’t say that one guy has really stood out above the other guy,” O’Brien said. “These guys have had to catch up to the veteran guys, and I think they’ve done a good job. Both guys have had tough moments. Both guys have had good moments.”
How dynamic was Penn State’s offense? Matt McGloin broke a handful of Penn State’s single season passing records while receiver Allen Robinson led the conference in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,013) and receiving touchdowns (11) last season.
When Robinson wasn’t grabbing passes, Penn State’s stable of tight ends was one of the most utilized in the nation, pulling down 82 catches for almost 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns. Running back Zach Zwinak rushed for just over a 1,000 yards giving the Nittany Lions a solid offensive attack of three separate offensive weapons with over a 1,000 yards of total offense.
Penn State returns almost every major asset offensively from 2012 for O’Brien to work with, but wrinkles, new formations, and different packages could turn an already efficient offense into one that is even more entertaining in 2013.
