Penn State is as motivated as ever, despite winning the Big Ten last year

After an 11-3 season which included winning the Big Ten Championship, an upset over Ohio State, and a Rose Bowl appearance, it’d be easy to expect Penn State to be at least a little bit complacent this year. Unfortunately, that probably isn’t the case.

The Nittany Lions were left out of last year’s College Football Playoff despite their conference title, in favor of the Ohio State team they beat thanks to Curtis Samuel somehow only getting two carries a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Penn State now heads into the 2017 with the best running back in college football, a returning star at quarterback, the most talent and depth the program’s had in the last decade, and some extra motivation to get to the playoff and prove that last season wasn’t a flash in the pan.

On this edition of The Hangout in the Holyland, Black Shoe Diaries’ Cari Greene joins the show to discuss the everything about the Nittany Lions’ upcoming season, including:

• The job James Franklin has done in Happy Valley.
• Switching their mindset from ‘underdog’ to being the team everyone is hunting.
• How running back Saquon Barkley can be even better this season.
• Concerns on defense, and Penn State’s strength in the secondary.
• Expecting an 11-1 season, why the game versus Ohio State will determine a playoff spot, and more!

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