A single moment still haunts Happy Valley from the Orange Bowl. Fourth quarter, tied game, just 33 seconds left, and a national title shot on the line. Drew Allar, Penn State’s 6-foot-5 star quarterback, had Notre Dame exactly where he wanted them. The game was in his hands. But then came the throw, and with it, heartbreak. That pass went to the wrong hands, and the Nittany Lions’ dream vanished. While that pick didn’t define his breakout year, it cast a long shadow. But will that single crushing interception, plus the seven others from last season, truly define him this year? Don’t bet on it.

Drew Allar’s glow-up under new OC Andy Kotelnicki was one of the hidden gems of 2024. After a rocky sophomore ride—sub-60% completion, some growing pains—Allar flipped the script. He finished the season with a sharp 66.5% completion rate, 3,327 passing yards, and 24 TDs. So, Kotelnicki’s offense gave him the reins—and Allar ran the show. And it’s the kind of growth that turns a talented QB into a trusted leader.

Josh Pate isn’t shy about big statements, and on his June 12th show, he made one. Pate ranked Drew Allar as his No. 1 quarterback in the B1G, fully expecting the backlash. “According to my expectations in ranking Big 10 quarterbacks, I’m going to put Drew Allar number one. I’m going to get serious pushback on that—it’s laughable—but I’m going to get serious pushback on that. Everyone wants Drew Allar to be elite because he was a former five-star quarterback who has started multiple years, and I’m telling you that he hasn’t been elite yet. And I’m telling you he may not even be elite this year, but he’s a really good player. He’s a really good quarterback,” Pate said.

So, the message? Allar doesn’t need to be perfect. He just needs to be better, and that alone could make him the Big Ten’s best. Why not? Drew Allar took major strides last season. His pre-snap reads improved. He moved through progressions with confidence. And he stood tall in the pocket with poise. Although the arm strength was never in question, now the mind is catching up to the mechanics. Still, there’s one big thing missing: that signature, season-defining win.

Josh Pate put it best, saying, “If he goes above and beyond and he’s elite—more power to him—and I’ll take credit because I got him ranked number one. But even if he’s not, if Drew Allar just plays a little bit better than he did last year, he may very well be the best quarterback in the Big 10.” So, this fall, Allar has a chance to turn flashes into a legacy.

However, Josh Pate didn’t hold back when defending his bold take on Drew Allar. He doubled down on ranking the PSU QB No. 1 in the B1G—and challenged critics to back up their doubts. “And for those of you who say that’s ridiculous—okay, you’re entitled to your opinion—I want you to point to me the surefire candidate out there that, that slam dunk, case closed, no question, you expect to be better than Drew Allar this year. And then I want you to define ‘better.’ Is it, is it completion percentage? TD to INT ratio? Like, what is it that someone’s going to definitively do better than him? So I’ve got Drew at number one,” Pate added.

So, with 24 passing touchdowns, 8 picks, and 6 scores on the ground last season, Allar has the numbers—and now, the national spotlight. Yes, in a recent Pro Football Network mock draft, Drew Allar landed just behind the No. 1 spot—projected to go 2nd overall to the Browns, replacing Shedeur Sanders. The fit? Almost too perfect.

“Drew Allar is my second-ranked quarterback so far. Things can definitely change, but he has a strong arm and the ideal size. If Kevin Stefanski somehow survives another rough season, Allar’s comfort with play-action would be a solid fit for the Cleveland Browns. According to TruMedia, Allar ranked 22nd in EPA (expected points added) per dropback on play-action throws,” Pro Football Network wrote.

While Drew Allar continues to earn national praise, the spotlight hasn’t been as kind to James Franklin. The Penn State head coach has faced criticism for his quarterback decision-making, choices that still carry consequences today.

Penn State HC and Drew Allar under the microscope

Penn State’s 13-3 run was one for the books—a season filled with dominance, talent, and title hopes. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton thundered through defenses. Tyler Warren was a weapon at tight end. On paper, it looked like a championship team. But three big games—Oregon, OSU, and Notre Dame—told a different story. When the spotlight hit hardest, Drew Allar came up short. Critics pointed fingers at James Franklin, but Allar’s struggles in those marquee matchups couldn’t be ignored. Talent was there, but the execution wasn’t. And in the end, it cost them a shot at glory.

On the June 10th episode of their podcast, Steve Muench and Todd McShay dove into Drew Allar’s performance—and the flaws that surfaced late in the season. Steve didn’t hold back. “He has great touch, but there are times he puts too much air on the ball. There are times when he doesn’t know when to drive it and when to hang it up in the air. And it’s great when he gets it right, but there was too much air under that ball. It was the one place he couldn’t throw it,” he said. And those issues hit hardest in the Orange Bowl, when it mattered most.

Yes, Drew Allar struggled under the brightest lights. In the Orange Bowl, he threw for just 135 yards on a shaky 52.5% completion rate, targeting only 2 wideouts and leaning heavily on TE Tyler Warren. Five screen passes, just one deep shot—and then the costly error. With 33 seconds left in a tied game, he forced a throw to Omari Evans’ feet. But Notre Dame’s Christian Gray snagged the gift, setting up the game-winning field goal.

Todd McShay summed it up, stating, “Yeah, like my notes in the Notre Dame game, miss wildly on dump off and flat pressure bearing down. Got to get better on these layups. Next play, early jitters. Misses a wheel route to 44, obviously. Makes a throw a lot on tape. So when you’re missing things that you’re making throughout the course of the season, there are a lot of the same concepts that he was hitting over and over again, and you start to not make them in these big games, you got to you got to mark it down.”

Allar’s big-stage issues weren’t just a one-game glitch. Remember, in the Ohio State clash, with PSU trailing 14-10, a misfired throw to Tyler Warren turned into a costly pick. The Buckeyes capitalized, swinging momentum their way. Against Oregon, Allar completed just 3 of 9 passes under pressure—a rough 35% on drop-backs. And a critical third-down overthrow to Warren didn’t help. But was it all on Allar? Or did James Franklin’s playcalling share the blame? The questions keep piling up.