There are a lot of things you could say about Penn State’s 23-20 loss to Iowa.
You could talk about Penn State’s defense, a group that has yet to give up more than 24 points in any of its last 10 contests. On Saturday it was nearly up to the task again despite all of the reasons why an Iowa victory felt inevitable once Nittany Lion quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of the game.
You could talk about injuries. From Clifford to defensive tackle PJ Mustipher. It was a caravan of players who could have – and almost certainly would have shaped the outcome of Saturday’s game.
You could talk about the turnovers. Penn State largely dodged the bullet with Iowa getting just three points off of four interceptions – but in a game when everyone knew what might decide it, the Nittany Lions certainly stepped up to the narrative.
You could talk about Clifford who seemed to be comfortably piloting Penn State for most of the first half, guiding the Nittany Lions to a 17-3 lead that felt even larger as Iowa’s offense sputtered.
You could talk about the fact Penn State looked like the better team with Clifford on the field.
You could talk about Ta’Quan Roberson, who showcased why he’s on Penn State’s roster as a depth piece but why most people talk about soon-to-be freshman Drew Allar when it comes to the Nittany Lions’ quarterbacking future.
You could talk about the fact Roberson faced six-straight drives from inside his own 25.
You could talk about Will Levis or Tommy Stevens, two quarterbacks who have undoubtedly shaped parts of Penn State’s 2019 and 2021 seasons without being on the roster for either of those years. In 2019 Stevens may have provided Penn State a different spark against Ohio State with Clifford sidelined. In 2021 the same could have been said for Levis, who has not proven to be a gunslinger while at Kentucky as the Wildcat’s starter but is at least far more experienced than Roberson.
You could talk about the fact Penn State – save a moment here or there from Stevens – has never really seemed to have a next-man-up quality quarterback behind its starter. Maybe that’s simply because good quarterbacks don’t sit on the bench for long, or maybe it’s something else. Nevertheless the drop-off has felt steep.
You could talk about the impossible task of calling a game with a backup quarterback, let alone on the road when he has never really played and now has many people shouting loudly and rooting against him.
You could talk about whether or not it being impossible to call a game for a backup quarterback says something about the preparation the quarterback or something else.
You could talk about the penalties, mostly a parade of false starts that seemed to be born of the fact Roberson and his offensive line don’t spend a ton of time working together. Or something.
You could talk about whether or not having a unicorn-quality backup quarterback is even a reasonable objective in the first place or if college football is about finding a good starter and hoping he doesn’t get hurt.
You could talk about the Iowa crowd and a stadium that has been a house of horrors for great teams over the years and will continue on such a path for as long as Iowa plays football.
You could talk about Jahan Dotson and the unfortunate fact being a game-changing receiver is something that requires a quarterback to get you the ball. You are no Saquon Barkley, dancing your way around the field without anyone else helping you. You’re left hoping for the pass to make it to you, until then you’re just another observer.
You could talk about Penn State’s running game, which has done little in the way of truly improving over the past several weeks in any substantive way. The cause of that perhaps a combination of backs who have not lived up to their own billing and blocking that has not stepped up to the challenge of creating holes on a consistent basis.
You could talk about the fact Penn State probably would have won that game if Clifford had remained healthy. If nothing else the Nittany Lions appeared to be up to the task far more with him at the helm.
You could talk about the fact Iowa is just fine, but struggled to beat a team that basically played the second half without an offense.
You could talk about the fact every Penn State/Iowa game is the same slogging rock-fight.
You could talk about a lot of things.
But at the end of the day it sort of is what it is. Sean Clifford got hurt and the guy who wasn’t really supposed to be Penn State’s backup quarterback a year ago had to take his first meaningful snaps in a place where seasoned vets have struggled. It doesn’t mean he couldn’t have been better, it doesn’t mean James Franklin and his staff can’t improve their development of young quarterbacks.
It doesn’t mean Saturday didn’t matter.
It just sort of is what it is though.
