STATE COLLEGE, PA – APRIL 15: Penn State Nittany Lions players and coaches line up to sing the alma mater after the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 15, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
We have yet another problem with college football. The transfer portal is open and that event overlaps with the college football post season. That in and of itself has been going on for a few years. It has forced depleted teams to play Bowl games without key players. The product has suffered and bowl games become more and more meaningless against the backdrop of the more important college football playoffs.
While absent players search for new teams to play for we always wondered if a player who wanted to transfer out in any given December would skip out on a team if it were about to embark on a playoff run. Would a player be willing to miss a chance at winning a national championship? The answer is yes.
PROBLEM WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Another problem with college football: Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula is transferring out and entering the transfer portal. Now. This week. The same week his team is about to play a playoff game and make a run at a national championship. Pribula isn't just any backup QB. He plays. A lot. And he is one of the best backups in the country. His presence gave coach James Franklin comfort because there would not be a big drop off in offensive production when Pribula entered a game for starter Drew Allar. Case in point; Penn State was struggling at Wisconsin this year when Allar hurt his knee at the end of the first half and did not return. Pribula played the second half and Penn State won the game.
If Penn State wants to win a national championship they will have to win four more games and hope Allar doesn't get dinged up along the way. If he does get hurt Franklin will have to turn to true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer who has never played. Penn State's dreams could go down in flames. And we feel bad that Pribula had to put himself in a position to miss a possible championship run because we have yet another problem with college football and its schedule.
For more college football playoff talk and analysis tune in each weekday from 2-6pm to Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.
