Nittany Lions aren't expecting a dropoff despite two suspended starters

LOS ANGELES - The loss of suspended Penn State starters Saeed Blacknall and Manny Bowen from Monday's Rose Bowl game against Southern California means the Nittany Lions will be without two of their more productive players.

But head coach James Franklin said Saturday he feels the depth that the Lions have developed all season will enable the players behind Blacknall and Bowen to do their jobs well.

"I think one of the things that we've done a pretty good job of this year, and really over the last three years, is playing a lot of guys and creating depth," Franklin said at his final pregame press conference. "So, obviously, you never want to be down starters or talented players, but we feel pretty confident."

Blacknall, a junior wide receiver, averaged a team-high 23.1 yards per catch among players who had 15 or more receptions, and caught touchdown passes of 40 and 70 yards in the Lions' Big Ten championship game victory. Bowen, a sophomore linebacker, finished tied for fourth on the team in tackles.

Redshirt sophomore DeAndre Thompkins, who averaged 17.2 yards on 25 receptions and started the four games that Blacknall missed early in the season due to injury, will start. Another redshirt sophomore, Koa Farmer, will take over Bowen's spot at strongside linebacker.

"Koa Farmer's a guy that's played a lot of football for us already," Franklin said. "The game, obviously, means a lot to him, considering he grew up 10 minutes from the (Rose Bowl) stadium. When Saeed missed some games early in the year, DeAndre Thompkins stepped up and played really well.

"So you never want to be down players but on the same hand, I think we've done a good job of developing talent and also developing confidence and depth. Guys need to step up. So we'll do that."

The Rose Bowl features a matchup of two of the hottest young quarterbacks in the country - redshirt sophomore Trace McSorley of Penn State and redshirt freshman Sam Darnold of Southern California.

"If I'm a fan, I'm getting a big box of popcorn and a Coke and enjoying it," USC coach Clay Helton said.

"You're talking about two kids that just have . . . it's hard to explain, I always call it the 'It' factor. They're winners. They find a way to make their teams successful. They help their teams win very tough games in critical moments."

Helton recognized McSorley's leadership in bringing the Nittany Lions back from a 21-point deficit to defeat Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game.

"It was kind of, he willed his team, he found a way to get it done in the second half, and that's what great players do," he said. "They just find a way, whether it's executing a play, finishing a drive, or finishing the game. And that's what I've seen with these two quarterbacks here."

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said she felt the Nittany Lions deserved one of the four available berths in the College Football Playoff, and that the selection committee did not follow its philosophy on strength of schedule in taking Washington.

"I was certainly disappointed . . . but the committee kind of did go away from what they had been talking about in terms of strength of schedule, a lot of chatter around that," Barbour said at a media availability after the coaches' press conference.

As for the playoff, she said, "Certainly we believed that we were college playoff worthy and we deserved one of those four places. The committee decided otherwise and we get to come to the Rose Bowl and play a really, really good USC team in the hottest game in the country.

"I'm really, really proud of our guys. I'm sure they were disappointed. They wanted to play for a national championship. That's what you do when you come to Penn State. But they very quickly turned their focus, led by their head coach, 'USC-USC-USC, Rose Bowl-Rose Bowl-Rose Bowl.' "