1-2 punch: How can Penn State best utilize Singleton, Allen?

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Talk about a good problem to have. In fact, probably the best problem for any sports team is having to choose between multiple outstanding players at the same position.

Penn State could be in for three years of that kind of "problem" with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Both true freshmen already look like they could be stars, after playing only four college games.

We saw Singleton break through first, with two long TD runs against Ohio and another at Auburn. He entered Saturday's game against Central Michigan leading the nation in yards per carry (11.1), after gaining 334 yards on 30 attempts.

Singleton, though, was held in check early on against Central Michigan, providing an opportunity for Allen to have his own breakthrough moment. He finished with 111 yards and one score on 13 carries, while Singleton gained only 42 yards on 12 attempts.

OK, so now we need to ask some interesting questions.

I posed this one on Twitter during the game Saturday: When all is said and done, who will be the better college running back? As you can see from the poll results, the voting was pretty one-sided.

Those results make sense, for now at least. Singleton came in as the bigger name, having been the national Gatorade Player of the Year, and already has had two monster games with the long TD runs.

But everyone who knew anything about Allen expected him to come in and be a major factor. He was the No. 12 running back recruit in the nation. So, seeing him pound his way to 111 yards against the Chippewas was no surprise.

It's not exactly a problem, but James Franklin and Mike Yurcich do have some decisions to make when it comes to how to best utilize Singleton and Allen. And it will be very interesting to see how they break down playing time in the coming weeks.

As of right now, I also believe what Ben Jones from StateCollege.com tweeted Saturday:

As an every-down back, Allen does look to be a little better equipped right now to succeed on a more consistent basis in the Big Ten.

Is it too early to say that? Absolutely. But hey, there's only one football game a week, so we gotta spend lots of time in between on these kinds of discussions.

Let's break this thing down:

SINGLETON: Everybody fell in love with him when he broke loose for 70-, 48- and 44-yard runs against Ohio. He was electrifying. Those runs also all went to the outside, with Singleton turning on the afterburners and racing by defenders. Ohio defenders. So, a little bit slower guys. Now, Singleton also had a 54-yard run at Auburn -- SEC SPEED!!! -- and that was impressive. Still, 216 of his yards entering Saturday had come on four carries, all to the outside. On his other 26 carries, he had 118 yards, which is still plenty good. There's no knocking Singleton in any of this, but it just has to be pointed out that he's not going to be able to get to the outside like that against most Big Ten defenses. Especially now that they have film on him and will game plan accordingly to keep him in the middle of the field. Central Michigan did just that Saturday, and while Singleton did have one 21-yard run, his other 11 carries went for only 21 yards.

ALLEN: He didn't have the explosive runs the first three weeks like his fellow freshman, though Allen did have 106 yards rushing on 23 carries prior to Saturday. But it's what we saw Saturday that has led me to cautiously believe -- again, for now -- that Allen might be a better every-down option as the Lions enter Big Ten play. Most of his runs went into the line, and he was able to pick up tough yards seemingly a little better than Singleton. Allen also had a 37-yard carry.

A lot of this comes down to a modern baseball comparison. Do you want to hit a bunch of home runs even if it means you may strike out more? Or do you want a whole bunch of hard-hit singles and doubles with a higher on-base percentage?

Franklin, without question, wants the home runs. Penn State's offense is designed to try and get explosive plays whenever possible, and there's no doubt Singleton can give you more of those. Merely having him on the field means that defenses have to do a whole lot of things to ensure he doesn't beat them, which in turn can give other players a chance to beat the defense.

So, clearly, you want Singleton on the field as much as possible.

But Allen looks like he can be a better Big Ten runner. The kind of guy who maybe won't break free for 50-yard runs but can get you 5-6 tough yards more often than not. Still, having him on the field and Singleton on the bench means that defenses now get a little bit of a break without as much of the fear of the home run ball.

Look, all of this is oversimplifying things to a large degree, which I totally get. Especially after only four games.

But these are the kinds of things Franklin and Yurcich are going to have to consider when it comes to who is in the game and in what situation.

And hey, my answer is simple: Play them both, together!

Man, that would be fun to watch.

THE FLIP SIDE TO ALL OF THIS

Did you see what Central Michigan did? Well, get used to it, because we're going to see a lot more of it.

The Chippewas sold out to try and stop the run for much of the game, and to force Sean Clifford and the passing game to beat them.

We saw a whole lot of that when Saquon Barkley was at Penn State -- loading up the box and being hell bent to stop the tailback -- and the Lions had the kind of quarterback in Trace McSorley who could beat defenses.

As the Lions get into the bulk of the Big Ten schedule, you can count on yardage to be much more difficult to come by for Singleton and Allen. Defensive coordinators have watched Clifford play for what seems like 15 years, and they know everything there is to know about the quarterback.

Think about it: If you were a defensive coordinator, how would you play Penn State?

Yeah, I know, the answer is pretty simple. Make Clifford beat you, if he can.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Saturday's win was that Clifford reverted back to the same guy we've been watching forever. He can look really good at times -- like starting 8-for-8 for 103 yards -- but then can look impossibly average for long stretches.

The young running backs are good, but Penn State's offensive line will still be a question mark against the likes of Michigan, Ohio State and Minnesota.

For the Lions to win those games, Clifford is going to have to play really well. He is a sixth-year senior, so everyone can hope he's capable of that. But what we saw Saturday doesn't inspire much confidence that he's just all of a sudden going to turn into a star quarterback.

IN THE POLLS

Penn State moved up three spots to No. 11 in the AP poll and also three spots to No. 12 in the coaches poll.

There's now a very good chance the Lions will be ranked in the top 10 when they visit Michigan on Oct. 15 for a massive showdown in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are No. 4 in both polls. Ohio State is No. 3 in both polls.

And let's not overlook Minnesota. The Gophers went from unranked to No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 23 in the coaches poll after going on the road and clobbering Michigan State, 34-7.

Minnesota visits Beaver Stadium on Oct. 22, the week after the Lions visit Michigan. That will be a whiteout game, so you have to like Penn State's chances. But depending on what happens at Michigan, you just never know, especially if the Lions lose because they've had trouble bouncing back from losses under Franklin.

BIG NUMBER

Penn State opened up as a 22-point favorite over Northwestern this week. That is a gigantic number, but the Wildcats are only 1-3 and have lost to Southern Illinois and Miami, Ohio.

Pat Fitzgerald has gone 14-23 at Northwestern since the start of 2019, with a pair of 3-9 seasons.

The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN.

CAIN DEFINITELY STILL ABLE

How about this for former Penn State running back Noah Cain! Good for him. He has 168 yards rushing and four TDs on 28 carries for LSU this season.