⚡ CFB Dashboard

- In his Sept. 15 pre-Buffalo press conference, Matt Campbell said Penn State had used about five edge defenders with Max Granville available, with Liam a sixth rotational option. After Granville's loss, he expected opportunities for Jackson Ford and Liam. He also noted Ike's transition from three- and four-I alignments to the edge; he did not set a new snap allocation. - In his Sept. 15 review of the Temple game, Campbell described Penn State's corner rotation as roughly 30 snaps apiece, with Jahmir Joseph back in the mix. He said playing Zion at corner added flexibility and matchup options. This was the coach's account of that game's rotation, not a permanent snap cap or a new Sept. 20 availability ruling. - In his Sept. 15 Temple-film review, Campbell attributed most of Penn State's yards allowed after catches to three open-field missed tackles. Defenders attacked from the wrong side without accounting for their help. He said the staff had worked on those details at Sunday and Tuesday practices, identifying tackling angles rather than announcing new coverage.

- Pick/market: Gameday bump and podcast recap this week, including some PFF insights.

- Pick/market: We're probably 6th in the B1G and 20ish nationally at the moment.

- QB/OL: Overall Grade B Minus - The team started slowly and didn’t take control until the third quarter.

- Penn State DE Max Granville is out for the season after a practice injury before Temple; LaVar Arrington II's reported absence is 4-6 weeks following late-camp cleanup surgery. At tackle, Alijah Carnell and Armstrong Nnodim dressed but did not play at Temple after missing Marshall. Matt Campbell said both will play against Buffalo; no workload was specified. - Lions247 projects Penn State to use primarily two linebackers, with Caleb Bacon working mainly at defensive end rather than SAM. That is the outlet's expectation, not an official weekly chart. Alex Tatsch returned for 24 Temple snaps after missing Marshall with an injury; Cam Smith missed Temple with an unspecified injury, with no return confirmed here. - Penn State's Zion Tracy started in the slot at Temple, playing 16 snaps there and 29 overall; Josiah Zayas had 14 slot snaps and 25 overall. Tracy has also played outside and wore a left-hand splint in the opener. Safety Jeremiah Cooper's workload grew from 12 to 34 snaps as he returns from injury, without an explicit full-health declaration. - Penn State tight end Gabe Burkle started at Temple and played 20 snaps, third most among the tight ends, after missing Marshall following an ACL recovery that limited spring and camp work. The unofficial chart gives Ben Brahmer, Andrew Rappleyea and Burkle shared first-line status. Cooper Alexander has missed action since camp with an injury. - Penn State's Dominic Rulli projects as the second center when healthy but has only played special teams against Marshall and Temple after offseason injury issues. Right tackle Owen Aliciene, dinged up late in camp, missed Marshall but returned for three late Temple snaps. Neither note establishes readiness for a full offensive workload.

- DL: Fresh out of Beaver Stadium press conferences, Daniel and I sat down for our usual Tuesday afternoon recap on the Lions247 YouTube channel.

- Pick/market: The VMI team i saw against VT for 15 min (wached the 1st Q) was hands down the worst college football team I have ever seen at any level of the sport.

- Lembo described Penn State's offense as run-first and formation-heavy, using multiple tight ends and extra linemen to widen edges and make perimeter defenders tackle. Zone, duo and counter runs support play-action, screens and RPOs, with tempo mixed in. Moving tight ends between attached, wing and slot alignments creates run/pass conflicts rather than simply adding blockers. - Lembo described Penn State's defense as roughly 70% four-down fronts with three- and five-man variations and eight or nine linemen rotating. On passing downs he expects crowded-line simulated pressures, defenders dropping out, Cover 2/Tampa 2 and man coverage; he also noted double-edge pressure and red-zone bear fronts. These are Buffalo's scouting observations, not a fixed call sheet.

- Penn State coach Matt Campbell expects interior defensive linemen Armstrong Nnodim and Alijah Carnell to play against Buffalo after holding them out following last week's warmups to avoid setbacks. Dallas Vakalahi is still working back into form after missing most of camp. The expected returns are Campbell's outlook, not completed medical clearances or proof that every returning lineman is game-ready. - Cam Smith remains questionable despite being out at Tuesday's practice after missing the previous game. Alex Tatsch played roughly 20 snaps last week, and Gabe Burkle also returned to action. Campbell distinguished being healthy enough to practice from being ready to perform in a game; Smith's participation should not be treated as a confirmed return. - Penn State's running-back roles remain unsettled: practice performance, packages and the hot hand will determine important carries. Campbell expressed confidence in Quinton Martin but did not promise an expanded role. Carson Hansen is producing positive runs after missing camp, while explosiveness, finishing and game conditioning are still coming back. - Campbell attributed goal-line and early offensive problems to details such as run reads and blocking timing, while backing coordinator Taylor Mouser's play-calling. He saw better execution after the first quarter. The improvement does not erase short-yardage concerns: missed blocks and inches on individual runs still prevented drives from finishing. - Campbell called offensive-line depth a major question and said receiver roles are still separating through practice. With a new team and players returning from injuries, he is still evaluating position-group depth rather than presenting the early rotation as settled.

- Injury: Caleb Bacon, a former linebacker, has been a playmaker at edge rusher early in Penn State's season.

- DL/LB: Penn State great Matt Millen will provide analysis on the Big Ten Network broacast of PSU-Buffalo on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

- Injury: After losing to tOSU last year with their AIDS quilt of an offensive line, I automatically assume that OL depth players on the opposing team will have a out-of-body experience.

- DL: Bc they don’t have edge rushers with that extra gear with Granville now out.

- QB/DL: Gotta hope that a sleepy noon kick on the road was a factor here, but...

- DL: I’m confused on Marcus Neal he has a good history and production and was very hyped but he just doesn’t pop when watching and wonder if he should even be starting

- RB/WR: Penn State's running back room, defensive end room and wide receiver room were all talking points after the Temple win.