The Pressure Mounts as Allar Faces Crucial Test Against Oregon

Drew Allar, the 6-foot-5 Penn State quarterback once hailed as a five-star recruit, has been thrust into the spotlight as the Nittany Lions aim for their first national title since 1986. However, as the No. 3 team prepares to host No. 6 Oregon, questions linger over whether Allar can rise to the occasion. Despite his prodigious arm strength—described by an NFL draft analyst as powerful enough to reach “nearly every blade of grass on the field on any given play”—Allar has struggled this season, completing just 58% of his passes in a Sept. 6 win over Florida International and 55% in a subsequent game against Villanova, where he also threw an interception.

The pressure on Allar has intensified as he enters what many consider the defining stretch of his final college season. With a 5-7 record against top-25 opponents and Penn State’s nine-year drought in defeating top-10 teams at home, the stakes have never been higher. Allar’s coach, Larry Laird, insists that the quarterback simply needs to trust his instincts, recalling the “See it, feel it, trust it” mantra they used in high school. Meanwhile, experts like Brad Stulberg suggest that acknowledging the odds and embracing the challenge could help Allar channel the pressure into performance.

Allar’s struggles are not just about performance but also about time. As a senior, he is acutely aware that this is his final opportunity to lead Penn State to a national championship. Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy noted that the realization that time is running out can be a significant psychological burden. “If I hadn’t won the national title my junior year, my senior year would have been the most pressure-packed year ever,” McElroy said. Allar’s situation is reminiscent of Matt Flynn, the only quarterback in the past two decades to lead his team to a national title in his senior season, when he led LSU to victory in 2007.

Penn State’s fan base sees Allar as the key to breaking the team’s long-standing championship drought. With a strong defense and two 1,000-yard rushers, the Nittany Lions are poised for a strong season, but Allar’s performance will be the deciding factor. As he prepares for the game against Oregon, Allar knows that this is one of the few opportunities he will have to end Penn State’s nine-year streak of failing to defeat a top-10 team at home.

Allar has also faced scrutiny over his mental approach to the game. In a Sept. 6 win over Florida International, he admitted to overthinking, mistiming throws, and whiffing on a gimme pass to his running back. “I’m just overthinking it,” Allar said. “So, it’s just going out there and shutting my brain and going and playing.” This admission highlights the psychological challenges he faces, as the weight of expectations from fans, coaches, and his own ambitions grows heavier with each passing game.

Penn State offers wellness and therapy services for athletes, but an athletics official would not confirm whether Allar has utilized them. While he works with a private quarterbacks coach, the focus has been on throwing mechanics rather than mental training. This raises questions about whether Allar has the proper support system in place to manage the immense pressure he faces.

As the game against Oregon approaches, Allar’s ability to deliver under pressure will determine whether he fulfills the promise that once made him a household name in college football. With the Nittany Lions’ season on the line, the world will be watching to see if the quarterback who was once seen as the savior of Penn State’s program can finally deliver the national title that has eluded the program for nearly four decades.