CBS Sports college football analyst Tom Fornelli had his projected win totals for all the Big Ten schools for the 2022 season and he had Penn State projected for 8.5 wins this upcoming season.
Fornelli has Penn State’s win total behind Ohio State (11 wins), Michigan (9.5 wins), and Wisconsin (9 wins).
Fornelli projects Penn State to defeat Purdue, Ohio, Central Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, and Michigan State. He has Penn State losing to Auburn, Michigan, and Ohio State.
Fornelli thinks that Penn State is a better team than they were during the past two seasons. Coach Franklin has one of the better rosters in the conference and a sixth-year senior in Sean Clifford. And believes Penn State will have a bounce-back season.
He points to the Ohio State and Michigan State games being at home and the early season game at Auburn not being as daunting now as when the game was scheduled years ago with the problems going on in their program. Fornelli Projects that Penn State will go over the over-under of 8.5 by winning nine regular-season games.
I agree with Fornelli’s assessment, and with good health they could win ten games in 2022 with a win over Auburn. The defense lost a few pieces to the NFL, however, with young players getting experience at the end of the season, adding a 2021 five-star recruit in Chop Robinson from the transfer portal they will be able to replace those pieces. Also P.J. Mustipher, Adisa Isaac, and Hakeem Beamon are coming back from injuries, they will be one of the better defenses not only in the conference but in the country under new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
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