Penn State football capped off a perfect 3-0 start to the season after a 52-6 dismantling of Villanova last week in Beaver Stadium.

The Nittany Lions handled business against the FCS opponent, but fans have seen some flaws in Penn State’s performance thus far. With the bye week on the horizon, Penn State invites the Oregon Ducks in two weeks for the coveted White Out game. As offensive woes continue and Big Ten play is just around the corner, fans took to social media with some hot takes after the Nittany Lions’ non-conference schedule came to an end.

Penn State Shouldn’t Be Ranked No. 2

Collin Ward: This is really based on what you think the AP Poll should be based on. If you think it should be fully resume-based, then Penn State shouldn’t even be ranked. On the other hand, if it’s more of a power rankings, there is nothing to say the Nittany Lions shouldn’t be knocked down from No. 2

I am a believer in splitting the poll to get the best of both rules, so I feel the No. 2 is a good spot for Penn State. Look at the other teams in the top five, Penn State would be favored or in a close game with all of them.

Oscar Orellana: Penn State hasn’t done anything that warrants AP voters to knock it down on the poll. The Nittany Lions have blown out and dominated the three teams they’ve faced even despite offensive inconsistencies. They were never in danger in any game.

I mean, come on, the defense has only let up 17 points through three games. Folks would literally flip this same take into “Penn State Should Be Ranked No. 2” if it was knocked down for its performances so far. The team is undefeated. That’s all anybody can ask for.

Cooper Cazares: Although they haven’t covered the spread, Penn State has shown enough dominance to maintain its No. 2 ranking. They’ve had an easy schedule thus far, but the Nittany Lions have never been in danger of losing a game yet.

Through three games, the Penn State defense has let up just 17 points, maintaining a decent lead in the second half against each opponent. The Nittany Lions are undefeated and have had no reason to drop.

The Bye Week Will Only Hurt Penn State

Collin Ward: There is something to be said about James Franklin’s record after a bye week, but I think in this instance it will help. Penn State needs to settle down and play faster, which is something that can be fixed during the off week.

The bye also gives Jim Knowles the chance to scheme up plays to beat an inexperienced quarterback in Dante Moore.

Oscar Orellana: I think this is an easy one to agree with, but I have to say that no game for Penn State should help. Drew Allar now has two weeks to expand and solidify his connection with the new wide receivers, and the offense can really evaluate its tape from the last three weeks to make sure it’s firing on all cylinders come September 27.

As for the defense, I’m not worried in the slightest that it doesn’t play on Saturday. They’ll be ready to go against the Ducks.

Cooper Cazares: It will be a tough turnaround for Penn State. After playing a light three-game non-conference schedule, there are still question marks about the offense’s efficiency. The bye week could be a great time to get back on schedule in developing the unit; however, it could just as well put the Nittany Lions further behind the eight ball in terms of being “game-ready” for the much better Oregon Ducks squad.

Overall, I think the bye week will prove to be beneficial for the Nittany Lions ahead of their first real test of the season.

Penn State Kept The Wrong QB

Collin Ward: I love Beau Pribula, but are we serious? Drew Allar is criminally underrated at this point. Pribula can be good, and Allar can be good; it’s OK. I do hope to see Allar sling the rock more against Oregon instead of thinking so much.

He shows a lot of his best stuff in the two-minute drills, likely an outcome of being forced to make plays.

Oscar Orellana: Woah! Slow your roll. Allar is definitely the right choice for this team. If Beau Pribula was truly better, he wouldn’t be wearing a Missouri jersey right now. That’s all I have to say about that.

Cooper Cazares: Yeah, I don’t know about this one. There has been a massive uptick in Drew Allar doubters online after three weeks of competition. It feels like just yesterday we were looking for Allar to be near the top of the Heisman-hopeful list. The hype has died down a bit; however, we shouldn’t move on from how good Allar can be down the road.

As for the competition with Beau Pribula last season, there is a reason Penn State stuck with Allar. While at Penn State, Pribula was a gadget-type player, serving primarily as a rusher, rather than a passing quarterback. Personally, I love to see Pribula taking off with Missouri, but you still can’t convince me he’s the better quarterback of the two.

The Penn State Defense Will Need To Carry The Nittany Lions Against Oregon

Collin Ward: The game against Oregon is really interesting because both teams will be tested for the first time. I do think Moore’s start to the season has been excellent, but a lot of his best throws are on the first read or largely based on the ball carrier. If Knowles can hide the coverages well enough, the defense could carry the game.

Will they need to, though? Probably not. If you look at last year’s game against Oregon, it was largely the offense that kept the Nittany Lions in the game.

Oscar Orellana: While I don’t think it’s going to need to “carry” the offense entirely, I definitely think if the defense doesn’t play a near-perfect game, the contest will be jeopardized. Oregon has one of the most explosive offenses in the country through three weeks, but Penn State’s defense has been objectively outstanding.

The defense will need to generate turnovers and make Dante Moore extremely uncomfortable in the pocket if Penn State wants a solid chance to win.

Outside of that, it’s one of the most highly anticipated White Out games in history. Let go of the offense, defense, and special teams talk. Let the environment play its role.

Cooper Cazares: It will take another dominant performance by the Penn State defense to keep this game close. Oregon has shown its offensive firepower, and with Penn State’s offense notoriously starting slow, the Penn State defense will be a necessity for any type of close game.

The game will be one of the better White Out games played in Beaver Stadium, so adding what is sure to be a sold-out crowd to the mix will only help the defense’s chances of causing real havoc on Dante Moore.

If the offense gets cooking, this game could be really one-sided for the Nittany Lions, but if not, the defense will need to have yet another spectacular day to keep it close in the early going.

Luke Reynolds Is The Clear-Cut TE1 Heading Into Big Ten Play

Collin Ward: I agree, Reynolds has shown the most through three games to be considered the TE1. With that being said, Kahlil Dinkins will still be used just as much in the run game as he has been. I think this room is more of a committee than people think, it’s just because Reynolds is used more in the pass game that people think he is the better tight end.

Oscar Orellana: There’s no way to sugarcoat this at all. Allar’s connection with Reynolds has been the most apparent of all the tight ends, even with Andrew Rappleyea’s increased play rate.

Allar completed 11 passes to Reynolds across weeks two and three, and Reynolds really carved out yardage with his legs after the catch. He’s blown Khalil Dinkins out of the water so far, and I think James Franklin and Ty Howle will capitalize on this newfound offensive spark coming out of the bye.

Cooper Cazares: This tight end carousel is making me dizzy. However, Reynolds has stood above the rest in the first three weeks as he’s led the group in receptions and targets.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Reynolds serves as the main receiving tight end while Khalil Dinkins serves more of a blocking role, like in years past. If there was one guy in the position group to rely on for yards after catch, Reynolds has answered the call better than anyone so far this season.