Penn State football is officially on a hot streak.

The Nittany Lions took down Rutgers with a fair amount of ease this past Saturday in a 23-7 victory. With that win over the Scarlet Knights and a victory over Michigan under its belt, the good vibes are coming on strong for Penn State.

While Penn State still sits at 2-5, fans have plenty of hot takes and opinions on their Nittany Lions. Here are a few of our staffers’ thoughts on this week’s reactions:

‘Penn State Will Win A Bowl Game’

Sam Brungo: I think if Penn State continues to look like a good football team, this is absolutely a possibility. Assuming the Nittany Lions win out and have a 4-5 record, Penn State could find itself in a decent bowl due to a lot of teams’ ineligibility. 

Gabe Angieri: Yes, Penn State can win a bowl game. The Nittany Lions would need to win out in order to get the chance, but it’s entirely possible if they play like they did the past two weeks. At this point, however, James Franklin’s squad needs to take it one week at a time. You know what they say: You are what your record says you are, and Penn State’s record is 2-5.

Ryan Parsons: It’s definitely possible if Penn State wins its next two games. Even at 4-5 after the “playoff” week, a smaller bowl offers the Nittany Lions an invite just because of their marketing value. It would be more beneficial for them to invite a popular team like Penn State, even with a bad record, than to invite a better team with a small fan base.

Will Pegler: The problem with this statement isn’t necessarily on Penn State’s end, but with the fact that the Big Ten hasn’t made a clear statement on what its “week nine” will look like. If the Nittany Lions beat Michigan State but don’t get a chance to play the week after, well, it’s hard to make an argument for a 3-5 team to get into a bowl.

‘The Defense Will Shut Down Michigan State’

SB: I don’t necessarily think it will be with ease, but I do think the Nittany Lions will have a similar game against the Spartans that they had last week against the Scarlet Knights.

GA: Let’s pump the breaks just a little bit. The Spartans have been inconsistent offensively this season, but so has Penn State’s defense. It’s definitely possible for the Nittany Lions to dominate on the defensive end like they did last week, but it’s far from a guarantee.

RP: Penn State’s defense is certainly on a hot streak, but this is still the same group that got torched by Maryland. It’s definitely possible that Brent Pry’s squad has finally figured things out and will dominate the rest of the season, but it’s too early to say for sure.

WP: This could be far too optimistic and may bite me in the ass Saturday, but Penn State’s defense has looked awesome these past few weeks. I understand Michigan and Rutgers aren’t great competition, but Michigan State isn’t an impressive offense either. I expect Brent Pry’s defense to stay confident and hold the Spartans to single-digits on Senior Day.

‘The Run Game Will Only Improve’

SB: With such a young running back room, the only way to improve is to give them time and reps, which we are already seeing. I think that they will continue to grow as a unit and carry that over into next year.

GA: I don’t think this is an overreaction at all. In the past two games, Penn State’s running game has been fun to watch and really effective. Keyvone Lee has been the star of the show, but Devyn Ford has himself a nice game against Rutgers. With the offensive line improving week by week and Lee and Ford leading the charge, I expect the run game to continue to improve.

RP: Let’s keep this thing rolling, baby. Penn State’s running backs have looked great recently, and the offensive line is getting things together, which bodes well for the future, too. Again, the past two games could have been flukes, but Keyvone Lee and Devyn Ford have looked great.

WP: Against Michigan, it was Keyvone Lee, and for Rutgers, it was mainly Devyn Ford. If Penn State continues to have viable options in the backfield, there’s no reason this group can’t stay hot.

‘Penn State’s Lack Of An Air Threat Will Be A Problem’

SB: It’s interesting to me how Penn State’s air game started hot and has since switched roles with the ground game as the lesser of the two as far as efficiency in the last couple of weeks. With that, I wouldn’t say it is a problem, but something to sort out so the offense can become more complete.

GA: This isn’t necessarily an overreaction, but I’m not insanely worried. Sean Clifford has done what he’s had to do the past two games. He’s turned the ball over just once and has managed the game well. With a strong running game leading the offense, Clifford hasn’t had too much pressure put on himself. I think the Nittany Lions will be just fine offensively and would need a poor game out of Clifford to be concerned.

RP: Penn State seemed to have figured its offense out enough to beat its last two opponents, but this is something it definitely needs to fix moving forward into next year. Sean Clifford has shown flashes of his 2019 self, but he’s been inaccurate and gun-shy for the most part this season. It’s definitely not an overreaction to be concerned about.

WP: Penn State’s ugly passing offense once again showed up against Rutgers. You’d have to be lying if you said this didn’t concern you, as one would have to think Michigan State will focus on defending the run this Saturday. As this season comes to a close, it’d be a nice sign for 2021 if Sean Clifford starts to hit some wide receives downfield. If that doesn’t happen, I don’t think it’s unfair to be concerned about the Nittany Lions’ pass offense.

‘Cornerbacks Will Hold Strong Even Without Tariq Castro-Fields’

SB: I hope this is true, but they are just far too inconsistent and inexperienced to make that call right now.

GA: I don’t know if the corners will “shut down” opposing receivers, but they’ve done a pretty damn good job the past couple of weeks. Penn State’s defense hasn’t given up 200+ passing yards to the opponent since week three of the season. Each week, the pass defense has improved and the young guys, such as Joey Porter Jr., Marquis Wilson, Keaton Ellis, and Daequan Hardy, have gotten the job done. I don’t see a reason why they can’t continue their stellar play, even without Tariq Castro-Fields.

RP: Yeah, this is a pretty fair assessment. But the young secondary has really done some good things, especially recently. Joey Porter Jr. is going to be very good, and the rest of Penn State’s defensive backs have held their own recently. Having a veteran like TCF back on the field would be great to help these younger guys learn, but I think they’ll continue to be fine without him moving forward.

WP: Joey Porter Jr. is clearly a rising star on this team, and Keaton Ellis and Marquis Wilson have both held their own. Would it be nice to see TCF return to the field and bring a veteran presence to the unit? Absolutely. But I don’t think the group will suddenly run into trouble without him the rest of the way.