Penn State’s earliest bye week since 2002 (remember having Week 2 off following a win over Central Florida?) probably doesn’t hit the schedule at the best time. The Nittany Lions, their defense in particular, would much rather cleanse elements of last week’s 34-27 win over Bowling Green than sit quietly this weekend. But here we are.

So as the Nittany Lions ruminate over the 2-0 start, we’ll do the same. We have questions about Penn State football. And perhaps some answers.

1. Which stretch represents Penn State better so far? The first-half against Bowling Green, which led 24-20 at halftime, or the middle quarters against West Virginia, in which Penn State outscored the Mountaineers 27-6?

Daniel Mader: The middle quarters of the West Virginia game — that’s when the new-look offense has looked its best so far. Bowling Green was a bigger challenge than it should’ve been, but I think the identity Penn State’s slowly finding as a team is focused on the offensive explosiveness we’ve heard a lot about. Top-ranked college football teams tend to underestimate opponents they’re heavily favored against (i.e., Notre Dame). I think Penn State was bound to have one of those types of games eventually, and it just came earlier than expected vs. the Falcons. What’s more important is that they still won.

Sam Woloson: I believe the middle quarters against West Virginia represents Penn State better so far. We saw how complete this team can be, playing solid defense and making splash plays on offense. I think Penn State just didn’t get up for the Bowling Green game and didn’t have the same energy or focus on its opponent. Come the big games against USC and Ohio State, I expect the Nittany Lions to be locked in.