2022 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2022 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 35–21 vs. Utah
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 7
APNo. 7
Record11–2 (7–2 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Yurcich (2nd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorManny Diaz (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinatorAnthony Poindexter (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
2022 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^   9 0     13 1  
No. 4 Ohio State ^   8 1     11 2  
No. 7 Penn State   7 2     11 2  
Maryland   4 5     8 5  
Michigan State   3 6     5 7  
Indiana   2 7     4 8  
Rutgers   1 8     4 8  
West Division
Purdue xy   6 3     8 6  
Illinois   5 4     8 5  
Iowa   5 4     8 5  
Minnesota   5 4     9 4  
Wisconsin   4 5     7 6  
Nebraska   3 6     4 8  
Northwestern   1 8     1 11  
Championship: Michigan 43, Purdue 22
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by ninth-year head coach James Franklin.[1] The Nittany Lions entered the season unranked for the first time since 2016.[2] Prior to the season, the team recruited the former number one quarterback Drew Allar, and the number one running back Nicholas Singleton.[3]

The Nittany Lions sought to improve from their previous disappointing season, where after starting 5–0, went on to lose six out of their last eight games, culminating in a loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. Despite losing impact players such as Jahan Dotson, Arnold Ebiketie, and Jaquan Brisker to the NFL Draft, the Nittany Lions rebounded going 10–2, only losing to top 4 ranked Michigan and Ohio State, securing them a place in the Rose Bowl, where they would beat Utah to win their first Rose Bowl since 1995,[4] ending the season 11–2.[5] This marked Coach James Franklin's third New Years Six win with the Nittany Lions, and his first Rose Bowl win.[6]

  1. ^ "Football Schedule". FBSchedules.
  2. ^ "Penn State is unranked in AP Preseason Poll for first time since 2016". ABC27.com. August 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "AP Top 25 reactions: Clemson overrated, Penn State underrated in preseason college football rankings". cbssports.com. August 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "Rose Bowl Rewind: Penn State vs. Oregon - 1995". gopsusports.com. December 21, 2016.
  5. ^ "2022 Football Schedule". gopsusports.com. January 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "James Franklin Overview". sports reference.com. January 2, 2023.