Three takeaways from No. 3 Penn State's 28-13 win over Wisconsin

The Nittany Lions tried to buck a troubling trend in James Franklin's tenure at Penn State. James Franklin is 5-7 after a bye, and that record drops to 3-7 if you exclude non-conference opponents from the list. Things looked dicey at times, but the Nittany Lions prevailed.

Here are your takeaways.

1: You just have the feeling

All week we were worried that Penn State would lay an egg after a bye. As the seconds ticked by, things just kept going against the Lions. First it was little things, like a dropped pass and a turnover on downs, then it was big things, like the loss of two of Penn State's most important players.

With every second that passed, things looked more and more difficult for the Lions and the Badgers gained more and more confidence. A strong fourth quarter killed things, but things could have been worse after losing three starters in the game.

2: Almost perfect

Drew Allar was almost perfect in the first half. A Julian Fleming drop ended the scoring spree, but otherwise Allar appeared to be in control. Unfortunately, he twisted his legs on a sack at the end of the first half and was unable to play in the second half.

We are hopeful that Allar will be able to go next week as Penn State's crucial game against Ohio State looms.

3: That reminded me of another game…

A year ago, Wisconsin hosted another team ranked No. 3 in the country in Ohio State. Although they didn't take the lead at halftime, they held the Buckeyes to just 10 points and even tied the game on the first drive of the second half. The difference, of course, was that Penn State lost Drew Allar and Dani Dennis-Sutton in the second half and still managed to take the lead with a pick-six when things looked dire.

A 7-minute drive early in the fourth quarter brought Penn State within eight points, and the Nittany Lions survived.

BONUS: Thank the Lord for the defense

Flashbacks to 2021 at Iowa were felt throughout the Penn State fan base when Drew Allar went down and the offense struggled to move the ball as a result. However, Jaylen Reed took matters into his own hands, giving Penn State a lead and enough time for the offense to get something going.