With a new head coach comes new expectations, both good and bad. Former Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin has replaced Bill O'Brien after O'Brien left for the pros. O'Brien set a respectable standard in his short stint with Penn State, but Franklin should have no issue meeting or exceeding those standards.

Prior to Franklin, Vanderbilt was a subpar football school. By SEC standards, many would say it was still a subpar team under Franklin, but they had become a much more competitive and viable team than before. Franklin quickly built the program inside-out and found success with middling quarterbacks such as Jordan Rodgers (Aaron's brother) and Austin Carta-Samuels. Seven Commodores were drafted under Franklin, and many more are on NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Franklin's three years earned him a 24-15 record, three bowl appearances, and two bowl wins, which make up for half of Vanderbilt's bowl wins in team history. More could be said to support Franklin, but it is quite clear that he is capable of succeeding with Penn State.

Franklin is a wonderful coach, but the headliner at Penn State is quarterback stud Christian Hackenberg. Like any young quarterback, Hackenberg still has to refine his play, but he is already miles ahead of schedule for his age. Hackenberg is the most physically talented quarterback in the college football universe. He proved time and time again that he could command the pace of the game and thread the needle against any defense. He had his fair share of mistakes, but much fewer than an average freshman quarterback, or most college quarterbacks for that matter. After a year of testing the waters, Hackenberg will be back with smoother mechanics and a sound mind, ready to take the BIG10 by storm.

Around Hackenberg is a solid cast. Though Penn State’s leading receiver from 2013, Allen Robinson, is now in the NFL, Brandon Felder is a solid receiver that can handle the increase in workload. But for Penn State, the skill position attraction is more geared towards tight ends. Jesse James, Kyle Carter, and Adam Breneman are all talented tight ends that can be used interchangeably to create mismatches against defenses. They will likely be a key piece of the offensive game plan, both in the passing game and the rushing attack.

Said rushing attack will mimic what Franklin did at Vanderbilt: Run by committee. The two running backs behind Jerron Seymour, Vanderbilt’s starting running back, had combined for virtually as many carries as Seymour had. At Penn State, Franklin’s Seymour is set to be Zach Zwinak, who has been Penn State’s leading rusher for the past two seasons. Behind him, Bill Belton and Akeel Lynch- who, although he is the youngest of the bunch, may be the most talented of the group- will come in from time to time to relieve Zwinak.

Now, in regards to defense, Penn State has issues. Defensive ends CJ Olaniyan and Deion Barnes are both solid players, but most of the remainder of the defense is mediocre. Cornerback Adrian Amos, who may see a move to safety, is the only other stand out player on the defense. The interior defensive line is either inexperience or subpar, while the linebackers are either inexperience of injury prone. Amos will have to be the leader of the secondary, no matter what position he plays. If he makes the move to safety, Jordan Lucas takes over as the No.1 cornerback. It will be a huge responsibility, but he should be able to handle many of the receivers that the BIG10 has to offer. Unfortunately, the Penn State defense is an injury away from being a train wreck. The depth across the defense is horrendous, mostly due to the sanctions that the NCAA forced upon them. So long as the squad stays healthy, they should be functional, but one torn ACL or busted shoulder could create a nightmare.

As a whole, the Penn State football team is a solid group of football players being lead by a top notch head coach. On paper, the Nittany Lions are a seven or eight win team, which is roughly on par with last season. For Franklin’s first year, that would be a success. It will take time for Franklin to build “his own” program, and he is already doing so. Penn State was one of the top 2015 recruiting classes, but I digress. The 2014 Penn State football team will be a competitive group, but despite a top notch quarterback and head coach, do not expect greatness just yet.