ALTOONA, Pa. -- It is wonderful news for Penn State that the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams in 2024.
That is absolutely perfect timing.
James Franklin and everyone in Happy Valley have to be ecstatic about that development, as opposed to, say, the playoff expansion coming in 2025.
Goodness! Just think about what kind of team Penn State should have in 2024. Not only a team good enough to reach the playoff, but perhaps even win it.
Yeah, I realize that may sound overly optimistic for a program that hasn't won a national title in 36 years. But there's simply no denying -- looking at Penn State's projected roster in two years -- that the Nittany Lions have a chance to be loaded.
Drew Allar.
Nicholas Singleton.
Kaytron Allen.
Abdul Carter.
Those four are all true freshmen this year, so they won't be eligible for the NFL draft until after the 2024 season at the earliest. It's always possible one could transfer somewhere else -- perhaps one of the running backs, although I don't see that happening -- but you're talking about four potential stars right there leading the way.
If at least a couple of them become superstars, then look out.
Cornerback Kalen King, who looked awesome the second half of this season, also would be back in 2024 unless he decides to turn pro a year early. Hey, it's certainly possibly for him to have a huge 2023 and head to the NFL, but for now let's count him as part of the 2024 team.
There's also defensive end Chop Robinson, who would be a senior in 2024. There's defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, a true freshman this year. And safety Zakee Wheatley, a redshirt freshman. And a whole host of other outstanding young players, many who haven't had a chance to prove themselves yet.
Like I said earlier ... goodness!
The reason the 2024 playoff expansion is so vital for Penn State is because that could be the last go around for the entire group of talent mentioned above. If Allar, Singleton, Carter and Allen do live up to their hype, any or all could decide to turn pro early after the 2024 season.
So, had the playoff expansion not come until 2025, that might have been a huge bummer for the Lions, who could be in more of a rebuilding mode that year, depending on who's left.
Penn State has finished in the top 12 now five of the past seven seasons, including this year, and would have made a 12-team playoff five times had it existed. The Lions would have made a 12-team field each year from 2016-19 and also this year at No. 8.
I know everybody reading this is probably wondering: Sure 2024, but what about a playoff berth next year? I just don't see it, not in a four-team field. Allar will be a first-year starter and will go through ups and downs, plus the Lions have to play at Ohio State next year, which always makes it tough to win the Big Ten East, let alone do more. Oh, and Jim Harbaugh really has it rolling at Michigan now, so the Wolverines are gonna be a problem.
But come 2024 ... whoa.
The perfect storm for Penn State.
Allar will be a junior. With lots of experience. Capable of doing anything. Two junior running backs with tons of experience. A superstar linebacker in Carter. Lots of young players from recent outstanding recruiting classes all coming into their own.
Ohio State has to come to Penn State in 2024 (think whiteout!). There won't be any divisions in the Big Ten, so maybe the Lions won't even have to play Michigan that year. Yes, USC and UCLA will be joining the league, but it's doubtful Penn State will play both in the same season. While USC should be a major factor each year, I still think the jury will be out on UCLA, and who knows, maybe Penn State will only have to play UCLA and not USC in 2024.
Add it all up, and Penn State may not just make the playoff in 2024, it actually could be one of the top four seeds that year -- if the Lions can go 11-1. That mean's a first-round bye, then one playoff win for a berth in the national semifinals.
I realize this is all kind of getting ahead of ourselves here, thinking two years into the future. But the expansion to 12 teams will be a major game changer for college football, with everybody being judged on how many playoffs they can make.
And what we know right now is that Penn State seems to be as well-positioned as just about anybody for the first expansion season in 2024.