With loads of potential, Penn State won't fly under the radar this season

CHICAGO – If you're Penn State, what can you do for an encore?

It's a question almost every other FBS program wishes it had to address.

That's what happens once you've shocked the landscape. But the world continues to spin. The Nittany Lions will not be flying under anyone's radar this time around. That's a good thing. They're about to embark on the next journey, one that in many ways could turn out to just as engaging. There's just no way it would be more stunning.

Fourth-year coach James Franklin, whose job security was being questioned by some about 10 months ago, tries to maintain a useful perspective.

"I don't want to be one of those programs where the wins are expected and the losses destroy you," he said Tuesday at the Big Ten kickoff media sessions. "I want to enjoy the wins.

"There's more talk about us than in years past. I think we all embrace it. You want the opportunity to be part of the playoff conversation."

Last year, the Lions were the last guys left out of the postseason playoff bracket. Ohio State, which they beat but which had one fewer loss, got in. Penn State is not favored to win the East Division this year, either, even though the conference doesn't conduct a preseason poll. They will be in the top 10 in a few weeks when the first national polls come out, where the Buckeyes figure to be second behind Alabama. And when was the last time Penn State was in such a prominent early position?

This year will be different. With projections come inherent burdens. Which means the Lions won't necessarily be playing with house money any longer. Doesn't mean they have to let that get in their way.

"Last year, we took a step in the right direction," Franklin said. "But it was really just that. It's important to continue growing and evolving.

"There's a buzz and an excitement in our community that we haven't seen in a while. I think we have a lot of pieces in place (19 returning starters, nine from a prolific offense headlined by Heisman Trophy candidates in running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley). I think the expectations are always going to be big at Penn State. Internally, we're not very different. Where it's probably changed is nationally."

And five years removed from the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal and harsh NCAA sanctions, that's no minor consideration.

Last year, they started off 2-2 after dropping a 39-point loss at Michigan. Then they needed overtime to survive at home against Minnesota. After that they took off, all the way to a Big Ten title. And they had Southern California pretty much  finished off in the Rose Bowl before suffering a deflating fourth-quarter meltdown.

Which, if nothing else, at least ensures there's still a whole bunch out there left for them to go after.

"Obviously, it didn't end the way we wanted it to," Franklin noted. "Our guys are aware of the (added) outside noise. But it's not like we spend a lot of time talking about it.

"None of the wins transfer over. We have to start from the ground up, using all of the experiences from last year. That's what we'll take with us."

Some of his players were a little more candid about the new realities.

"I still have a chip on my shoulder, and I'm pretty sure my teammates do," said safety Marcus Allen. "It's not like we won it all. People still doubt us to this day, definitely. They think it was a fluke. The increases my motivation. We talk about it. If you ain't going to talk about it, you ain't going to live it."

Added linebacker Jason Cabinda: "We know what made us successful. What's said on the outside doesn't really matter to us. We know what we're capable of. If anything, we have more expectations of ourselves."

It begins anew on Sept. 2 in Happy Valley against Akron, which is the only part of the schedule Franklin will permit himself to talk about until Sept. 3. Some things remain constants.

But the coach would allow this much: "There's still a few question marks out there. We probably have less question marks than most."

That's an enviable place to be. Now it's a matter of finding out just how good the potential becomes.