How Penn State Football Hit the 2026 Big Ten Schedule 'Jackpot'

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt calls Penn State's 2026 schedule the easiest in the Big Ten.

A general view of Penn State's Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

We knew Penn State's 2026 football schedule would be friendly even before the Big Ten release party in late January. The Nittany Lions would avoid all three conference playoff teams, including national champion Indiana, and head coach Matt Campbell wouldn't have to deal with Ohio State in his first season.

But just how friendly is Penn State's 2026 schedule? According to FOX Sports' Joel Klatt, it's the easiest in the Big Ten. In fact, Penn State has a schedule that could boost it into playoff contention. Klatt said on his weekly podcast.

"The best schedule in the Big Ten, yes, the lottery-winner, they hit the jackpot folks, and that is new head coach Matt Campbell and the Penn State Nittany Lions," Klatt said on the Joel Klatt Show. "This thing is not difficult. It just isn't at all."

He's not wrong. First, a look at Penn State's 2026 schedule:

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 5	MARSHALL	Beaver Stadium
Sept. 12	Temple	Lincoln Financial Field
Sept. 19	BUFFALO	Beaver Stadium
Sept. 26	WISCONSIN	Beaver Stadium
Oct. 3	at Northwestern	Ryan Field
Oct. 10	USC	Beaver Stadium
Oct. 17	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium
Oct. 24	BYE
Oct. 31	PURDUE	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 7	at Washington	Husky Stadium
Nov. 14	MINNESOTA	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 21	RUTGERS	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 28	at Maryland	SECU Stadium

Notice that Penn State, which faced all three Big Ten playoff teams last season, gets none this year. The Nittany Lions don't have to worry about unbeaten Indiana, playoff semifinalist (and White Out winner) Oregon or Ohio State (which beat James Franklin 10 times) during the regular season.

Penn State also doesn't face nine-game winners Illinois and Iowa. Like Penn State itself, most of its opponents seek bouncebacks in 2026. The Nittany Lions' nine Big Ten opponents went a combined 33-48 in conference play last season. Beyond Michigan and USC, which went 7-2 each, Penn State's other seven Big Ten opponents won just 19 conference games combined.

Of the six Big Ten teams that did not play in bowl games, four are on Penn State's schedule. Purdue, which visits Beaver Stadium on Halloween, is coming off a winless Big Ten season. Maryland went 1-8, and Rutgers and Wisconsin went 2-7 each. Campbell is facing a group of teams rebuilding just as he is.

Further, Penn State's non-conference schedule includes home games vs. Marshall and Buffalo and a road trip to Philadelphia to face Temple. None ranked higher than 90th in ESPN's final College Football Power Index for 2025. As a result, Klatt said that Penn State struck gold in Campbell's first season.

"This is the absolute schedule lottery in the Big Ten," Klatt said. "Penn State, I don't know if their team is going to be a 10-win team, but their schedule is a potential 10-win schedule.

"... I think they certainly have nine wins on that schedule and possibly 10 and maybe 11. It could be a good year in Happy Valley with Matt Campbell."

"If you would have known this schedule before this hiring process, guys would have clamored to take the [job.]"

More from @joelklatt on who he feels won the schedule lottery in the Big Ten. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/W9UthECEJd

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) February 2, 2026

Like many analysts, Klatt questioned the imbalance in Big Ten schedules. While Penn State has the easiest, according to Klatt, Ohio State has the toughest. The Buckeyes play road games at Indiana, Iowa and USC while also hosting Illinois, Oregon and Michigan. Further, Ohio State visits Texas for a non-conference road game in September.

As a result, he lobbied for an NFL-style scheduling model in which schedules are determined annually. The Big Ten announced conference schedules in January but determined conference opponents for this season in 2023. In fact, the Big Ten has determined each team's conference oponents through the 2028 season.

"In this era I do think we need to get to these NFL-based schedules just because the imbalance is great," Klatt said on his show. "And if there is going to be an imbalace, I'm a big believer that you try to drive toward parity."

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Daryus Dixson (5) celebrates after a defensive stop against Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the second half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As an example, Klatt posed a hyopthetical: What if Penn State played Ohio State's schedule? The Nittany Lions brought in 40 transfers, 24 from Iowa State, including three-year starting quarterback Rocco Becht.

Though Becht is the most experienced starting quarterback in college football, he leads a very new roster with limitations. Against Ohio State's schedule, Klatt said, those limitations would be magnified.

"I would look at it, the way Penn State is currently constructed after the transfer portal window, I think they could probably win six, maybe seven [games], and if it goes incredible, over the moon, maybe even nine [games against Ohio State's schedule]," Klatt said on his show. "A great year for Penn State playing Ohio State's schedule would be eight wins. A wild success first year for Matt Campbell. That is a drastic imbalance."

Penn State kicks off the 2026 football season Sept. 5 against Marshall at Beaver Stadium.

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