Drew Allar has previously attended the Big Ten championship game.The quarterback for Penn State, a native of Ohio and a lifelong Buckeye, attended the conference championship game a few times at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He recalls the 2013 Ohio State victory over Michigan State.
He won’t be in the Lucas Oil Stadium stands ten or so years from now. Allar will be crucial in Saturday’s Big Ten championship matchup between Penn State and Oregon in Indianapolis.
This year, Allar has been crucial to Penn State’s success. With just five interceptions, the junior has passed for 2,668 yards and 18 touchdowns. Allar is fifth among FBS quarterbacks with a 71.6% completion rate and 9.4 yards per attempt. Assistant coach Danny O. Brien and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki have helped the former five-star recruit grow.
However, this weekend will put Allar’s abilities to the test. The program’s face will have a huge chance to flourish under pressure during the Big Ten championship game. Additionally, he will face competition from one of college football’s top defenses.
The headlines are captured by Oregon’s offensive force, led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel and a variety of devastating weapons. However, the Ducks’ defense has played a major role in their perfect record.
Sixth in sacks (39) and sixth in passes defended (68), Oregon is ranked seventh among 134 FBS teams in terms of total defense (283.8 yards per game allowed), eighth in pass defense (171.5 yards per game), and ninth in scoring defense (16.2 points per game).
On Tuesday morning, Allar was questioned about his initial assessment of the Ducks defense and how it stacks up against the others he has encountered this season.
They are comparable to a few fortifications in terms of structure. According to Allar, each side has a somewhat different preference for the coverages they like to run for the majority of the game. However, I believe that their team’s general defensive pace is what caught my attention the most on camera. In terms of team speed alone, they’re arguably the fastest defense we’ve seen thus far. Additionally, they do well in the front seven. They are quite muscular. The linebackers and their d-line are excellent. They’re more than just quick. They are also physical. Therefore, they make a good combo right away. They also create a lot of plays and contest a lot of passes in the back end. It’s going to be difficult.
Then, Allar was questioned in greater detail regarding Oregon’s renowned defensive line. Jordan Burch, another edge rusher, has amassed 8 1/2 sacks (despite missing four games due to injury), while Matayo Uiagalelei leads the Big Ten with 10 1/2 sacks. Allar also mentioned Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell, two Oregon interior defensive lineman who have combined for 12 tackles for loss and 65 quarterback pressures.
Their size is the reason. Both in height and weight, they are very large up front. However, Allar remarked, “You wouldn’t expect them to move like they do up front.” The two d-ends cause a lot of trouble. Both the run game and the pass game are areas in which they excel. Caldwell is the larger of the two interior players, but he gets off the ball quite effectively. They also sort of move him in and out. That is somewhat different from what we have observed. (Harmon), too. They have a very talented front-row starting four. This week, we’re going to have to do well up front. And I am confident that our offensive line is ready for the task, and they are currently training for it.
When the Nittany Lions play the Ducks on Saturday night, we’ll see how Allar and the team do.
The game between Oregon and Penn State begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday. CBS will broadcast the game.
Stories by
Johnny McGonigal
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