The College Football Playoff was never going to expand without some inevitable Penn State jokes. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, the Nittany Lions have fallen just short of the playoff over and over again, usually because they haven’t been able to beat Michigan and Ohio State over the years.
But the Nittany Lions went out this offseason and made splash hires for both coordinator positions and the early returns are positive, especially on offense. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was hired to help the Penn State offense reach its full potential by actually hitting explosive plays. After four games, it’s clear: Penn State is explosive and dangerous.
Penn State’s New Chunk-Play Offense
Penn State’s offense has never been bad under James Franklin, but it’s never been the unit that terrifies opponents either.
Last season, the Nittany Lions finished fifth in ESPN’s SP+, fourth in defense, and 30th in offense. The issue wasn’t talent; the Nittany Lions had four offensive players get drafted, including three offensive linemen. The receivers were decent, the quarterback was a former five-star, and the running back duo was one of the best in the country.
The issue is the offense lacked any semblance of explosion. It was allergic to big plays. Franklin brought in Kotelnicki from Kansas to fix that. So far, it’s worked.
The Nittany Lions had six plays of over 40 yards all of last season. Through three games in 2024, the Nittany Lions have seven such plays.
Quarterback Drew Allar had just five touchdown passes of 20+ yards in 13 games last season. He threw his sixth in his 11th quarter this season. Running back Nicholas Singleton broke last year’s longest rush of 24 yards on his ninth carry of the season with a 40-yard touchdown. Since then, he’s had two more 40-yard runs.
All of this, according to Franklin, was the plan.
Andy Kotelnicki’s Journey to Happy Valley
Kotelnicki was a center at Division III Wisconsin-River Falls before he transitioned to coaching. He was a rising star in the D-III ranks at several stops, including perennial power Wisconsin-Whitewater, before making the jump to the FBS level with Lance Leipold at Buffalo.
He then followed Leipold to Kansas where he helped revolutionize that offense before Franklin lured him to Happy Valley to coach Penn State’s offense. The early returns are even better than expected.
Kotelnicki is known both for his unique scheme and his trademarked aggression, both things that have benefitted the Nittany Lions early.
What Kotelnicki Means to Penn State
Penn State has been one of the few teams to bear the brunt of the expanded playoff jokes. A team that could never quite crack the top four, many expect the Nittany Lions to make the playoffs this season.
College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter currently gives Penn State a 65.6% chance to make the College Football Playoff, a 21% chance of winning the Big Ten, and a 5.7% chance to win the National Championship game.
That won’t happen if the Nittany Lions revert to last year’s “three yards and a cloud of dust” offense. Franklin knew that and swung for the fences by approaching Kotelnicki.
It’s a two-edged sword. Kotelnicki has Allar playing like a dark horse Heisman contender at the same time that his former quarterback, Kansas’ Jalon Daniels, is floundering. Kansas is struggling to create big plays in the passing game while Penn State is averaging 12.3 yards an attempt.
The one consistent presence is Kotelnicki, whose offensive philosophy has transformed Penn State’s pedestrian attack into a dangerous one. And about that SP+ number from earlier — after losing three starting offensive linemen and an All-Big Ten tight end, Penn State’s offensive SP+ rating has jumped nearly five points.
Kotelnicki was brought in to fix Penn State’s broken offense. So far, he seems up to the task.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.