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Big 10 Championship. No. 1 team in the nation on the ropes, up 8, without the ball. 2^nd and 1, near midfield, Penn State comes out of the two-minute timeout…and does this?!?!

If any NFL scouts needed further convincing that Penn State QB 15- Drew Allar is a future, no-brainer Round 1 selection, the true junior provided it on a national stage against a Top 10 defense. However, when the game was over in Indy, all I saw scattered across the Interwebs was that this video above was a “bad call” or “Why would your play call be to  throw up a 50-50 ball  when we’ve had success in the intermediate?!”

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For all the creativity Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki has shown in 2024, a few base concepts out of distinguishable formations have gotten a tad predictable.

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When playing a Dan Lanning coached defense — or better yet a direct-branch defese from the Saban Tree (Saban—Smart—Lanning), you’re going to have your hands full.

Yes, Lanning and his mentors recruit well, coach toughness and physicality, and have an elite scheme. But, in my opinion, the overwhelming differentiating factor of this defensive coaching tree is the focus on recognizing and exploiting opposing offenses tendencies. In other words, they find a common denominator somewhere, and before the day is over some poor graduate assistant is tasked with putting together an entire folder full of graphics, diagrams, and film cut ups related to this tendency.

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If Penn State WR Omari Evans was any more open he’d be a 7-11, but that separation didn’t occur by accident.

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“JUST CHUCK IT DEEEEP,” right?

I mean, clearly, the simple premise has been effective when involving Penn State WR 5-Omari Evans. 2022 vs. Ohio when Drew Allar entered the ballgame. 2023 vs. Michigan State at Ford Field. 2024 vs. West Virginia in the first half’s dying breaths. Now, add 2024 vs. Minnesota on the pile.

But guess what? This heave was calculated and nuanced, especially when you realize the decision to dial it up happened the play before. WTF do I mean? Let’s unpack this:

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Yurcich is to T-Formation as Kotelnicki is to: A) Warren Wildcat B) Shirtless Bro Walks C) Terrible Gus Johnson nicknames D) All of the Above.

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Another Penn State game on CBS game, another viral double pass to Nittany Lions TE 44-Tyler Warren for a massive gain. Coincidence? Probably.

The Warren Wildcat (2024’s T-Formation) finally showed another wrinkle for future defenses to worry about – moving forward, Penn State QB Drew Allar lining up 5-7 yards deep in the displaced backfield is ALWAYS a threat for a double pass.

PLAY ON PAPER:

PLAY ON VIDEO: 

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Just like airing the Whiteout on a terrible streaming service, what’s Old is suddenly New in Andy Kotelnicki’s Offense

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In an offense where the highlight play typically comes in wild, unorthodox fashion – stuff we haven’t seen before — Saturday’s Whiteout game featured several gains for first down that were simply second layers or iterations of base concepts – stuff we HAVE seen before…just slightly tweaked.

What I mean by this: rather than building a game plan around gadget, gimmicky type plays (to be clear: not saying there’s anything wrong with this), Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki focused on peeling back the 2nd layer to the go-to concepts that the Nittany Lions consistently run.

While the plays themselves may not be all that exciting, hopefully getting inside Coach K’s brain is.

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You got questions, we got…the same questions and no answers for Penn State’s four forgettable, unimaginative plays near the goal line with the game hanging in the balance.  

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Why fuss around, right? Just rip off the damn Band-Aid. We’re discussing the failed 4^th quarter goal-to-go sequence that sucked the juice out of a record-setting Beaver Stadium crowd like a poorly aimed straw popping a Capri-Sun pouch.

Hold your nose. Here we go.

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Wildcat is a popular nickname for high school and college athletic teams across the United States. And two months through the second installment of this in-season weekly series, Wildcat has been the most popular topic of discussion.

Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki has whipped out Wildcat so often this season, that the uncommon formation isn’t really a surprise anymore. Especially with your starting QB hurt, it makes sense to make little tweaks within base concepts to create some distortion on the defensive side.

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The Nittany Lions’ dizzying utilization of this fringe Heisman candidate has been tough to track…but we gave it a shot.

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Contrary to the CVS receipt of search engines results that pop up when you enter the phrase ‘Tyler Warren’ and ‘Swiss Army Knife, we’re choosing a different inanimate-object comparison for Penn State’s do-everything tight end because, according to Pennsylvania law, Swiss Army Knives aren’t considered weapons…and, well, Tyler Warren is a damn weapon.

Therefore, to us, the 2024 Mackey Award lock and former high school quarterback (a little known/seldom shared factoid from Warren’s bio) is more like a medevial  Halberd – the most versatile hand-to-hand combat weapon in history according to a Jan. 16, 2011 Escapist Magazine forum post by Brawndo.

Here’s a pic.

Gnarly, huh?

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Continuing a season-long trend, Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki once again went full Willy Wonka with future All-American and Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren last Saturday

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In a football game that was absolutely jam-packed with creative and unorthodox offensive architecture, one play stood out for all viewers as the most aesthetically interesting.

You know the one:

So we’d be fools if we didn’t unpack the schematics and design of Tyler Warren’s touchdown. Time to break down the Center-Eligible-2QB-Double Pass.

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Penn State WR Liam Clifford’s breakout Saturday performance was aided by a  pair of chunk receptions featuring a route concept that’s popular on Sundays.

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An NFL-level QB calls for NFL-level concepts.

Aside from exotic formations, shifts, motions, option schemes and more…it’s important to recognize the portion of the Penn State offense that includes well-executed, sound passing concepts that quarterback 15-Drew Allar thrives in.

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