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CFB Playoff or bust: Micah Parsons guarantees Penn State competes for national title within two years
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Micah Parsons didn’t commit to Penn State to be good. He committed to Penn State to be great. Not just as an individual, but as a team.
On Tuesday morning, Parsons met with reporters via a conference call. The former five-star linebacker and Penn State’s leading tackler (83) from a year ago didn’t lack confidence while talking the future of the program.
“When I committed early, I wanted to bring Penn State back, and me and the team are going to do that this year,” Parsons said, according to Greg Pickel of PennLive.com. “People sleep on us, but this is the fastest our defense has ever been, we’re moving good, we’re healthy and I think Penn State is back.”
Penn State is coming off a 9-4 season and a loss in the Citrus Bowl to Kentucky. Considering the goals in Happy Valley have been to dethrone Ohio State in the East and continually compete for B1G titles, the 2018 campaign was somewhat of a disappointment.
But Parsons believes the Nittany Lions are on the verge of taking that next step, and not just defensively. The linebacker was high on receiver Justin Shorter and the quarterback situation with Tommy Stevens and Sean Clifford. Through spring, Parsons believes this team has all the pieces to compete for not only B1G titles, but national championships.
“We have so much speed, young guys, and juice that in the next two years you’re going to definitely see us in the national playoffs, if not this year,” Parsons said. “I think it’s going to get scary for the B1G. I don’t think there’s a lot of people who can match up with us up top. I think we’re going to really surprise people this year.”
Following Penn State’s loss to Ohio State in 2018 early in the year, head coach James Franklin harped on the fact that the Buckeyes had an “elite” program and the Nittany Lions had a “great” program. He talked about doing more of the little things to elevate Penn State’s status and trying to join that elite status.
It sounds like Parsons has hopped aboard that train.
“I tell [recruits], this isn’t the same Penn State it was five, six years ago,” he said. “We’re here to win championships.”
Penn State has won one B1G title — that coming in 2016 — but failed to make the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions won’t be a favorite to be one of the four teams in the mix this season, especially with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State returning a bevy of talent.
But Parson is all in on the program, and believes Penn State is going to get back into the national spotlight within the next two years.
Like Franklin, Parsons wants Penn State to reach elite status as a program.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB