PSU’s StrugglesContinue: Allar Injured and Out for the Season

Drew Allar’s college football journey seems to be coming to a halt, and it’s been a tough ride for Penn State as well. The Nittany Lions lost their third game in a row on Saturday, falling 22-21 to Northwestern at home.

The big blow was losing Allar, their starting quarterback for three years. He got injured during a fourth-quarter scramble and couldn’t get up, holding his left leg. Medical staff had to assist him off the field. Coach James Franklin later confirmed that Allar would miss the rest of the season. Unfortunately, since Allar has played more than four years, he can’t return unless the NCAA changes eligibility rules.

Allar had thought about jumping to the NFL after leading Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. He decided to come back, aiming for a national championship and to boost his draft prospects. Starting the season with the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, the Nittany Lions began ranked No. 2. But now, it’s all spiraled into chaos.

This season has seen Penn State make a startling history. They became the first FBS team to lose consecutive games as 20-point favorites since 1978. A shocking loss to a winless UCLA team last week caused them to drop out of the rankings completely.

Coach Franklin took full responsibility after Saturday’s loss, stating, “It’s 100 percent on me… and we got to get it fixed.” His record against top-10 Big Ten teams has been poor, going 1-18, which raises questions about his future. The crowd even chanted “Fire Franklin” as the game ended.

Looking ahead, redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer is expected to step in for Allar, despite having only 11 career passing attempts. “It’s about the guys in the locker room, and they’re hurting,” Franklin said, emphasizing the need for unity during this tough time.

As they prepare to face Iowa next Saturday, the focus will be on rebuilding and keeping team spirits up.

For further insights into college football trends and statistics, you can check out NCAA’s official site.

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