Breaking Down Penn State's 2023 Football Schedule

The Lions face an old rival, two early Big Ten tests and a late-season date with Michigan.

Author:
Mark Wogenrich
Aug 20, 2023 7:15 PM EDT

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Penn State's 2023 football schedule is geared toward winning 10 games, with a confidence-boosting opener, two September challenges to gauge progress and three de-stressed weeks before a road trip to Ohio State. James Franklin and his staff couldn't have crafted a better introduction to the season, which does include some tricky weeks beginning in October.

To contend for a conference title and College Football Playoff berth, Penn State must navigate a potentially some potential pitfall dates (watch that November road trip to Maryland) and, of course, the two big-hitters. But overall it's a fairly friendly schedule that includes a bye week and non-conference game before an October visit to Ohio State.

Here's a look at Penn State's 2023 football schedule.

West Virginia

When: Sept. 2
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Penn State leads 48-9-2
Last Meeting: Penn State 40-26 in 1992
Noteworthy: Upon scheduling this two-game series with an old rival, Penn State could not have predicted where the Mountaineers would fall. West Virginia is headed toward the bottom of the Big 12, its defense has plenty of questions and coach Neal Brown might not last the season. West Virginia ranked near the bottom of the country in scoring defense (32.9 ppg, 116th) and total defense (98th, 412 ypg), which means the Lions could roll up the scoreboard at home. Penn State is on a 4-game win streak in the series, though that was more than 30 years ago.

Delaware

When: Sept. 9
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: First meeting
Noteworthy: The Lions are playing an FCS opponent for the second time in three years, having defeated Villanova in 2021. The Blue Hens went 8-5 last season, losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Second-year coach Ryan Carty is a creative offensive mind who played quarterback for Delaware and has helped coordinate playoff runs at multiple schools (New Hampshire, Sam Houston State).

Illinois

When: Sept. 16
Where: Champaign, Ill.
Series History: Penn State leads 20-6
Last Meeting: Illinois 20-18 (9OT)
Noteworthy: Prepare for a bunch of oral histories about the last Penn State-Illinois game in 2021, the longest overtime game in college football history. Beyond that, this is a nerve-wracking Big Ten opener against a returning eight-win team. And, of course, it's on the road. It's notable that the Illini have two transfer quarterbacks in Luke Altmyer (the projected starter from Ole Miss) and former Ball State starter John Paddock, the latter as a walk-on. It's also notable that Illinois led the Big Ten in scoring defense last season, allowing just 12.8 points per game. This could be a testy road game for a first-year starting quarterback, particularly if Illinois squares its sights on Penn State's run game.

Iowa

When: Sept. 23
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Penn State leads 17-14
Last Meeting: Iowa 23-20 in 2021
Noteworthy: Iowa averaged just 17.7 points per game last season, 12th in the Big Ten, prompting Kirk Ferentz to address some needs. First up: transfer quarterback Cade McNamara from Michigan, who should be the starter despite a preseason injury. However, Brian Ferentz remains the offensive coordinator, a decision that, should it continue to generate such dearth, could eat into that contract extension Kirk Ferentz signed in 2022. This is the White Out game.

Northwestern

When: Sept. 30
Where: Evanston, Ill.
Series History: Penn State leads 15-5
Last Meeting: Penn State 17-7 in 2022
Noteworthy: Outside of the program itself, football hasn't been the primary focus at Northwestern. Pat Fitzgerald's firing following hazing allegations, multiple lawsuits and even a T-shirt controversy during training camp. The Wildcats, 1-11 last season, attempt to climb through all this under interim head coach David Braun, who was the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State last year. Braun's grinding through an impossible situation, which likely won't get better by the time Penn State visits.

Massachusetts

When: Oct. 7
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Penn State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Penn State 48-7 in 2014
Noteworthy: The Lions land a rare midseason non-conference game, which follows a bye week and precedes a visit to Ohio State. UMass' head coach is former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, who had great success against Penn State in 2018, prompting Jim Harbaugh to sing about him. The most interesting person at this game will be Adam Breneman, the former Penn State tight end who transferred to Massachusetts and became an All-American. Now, he's partnering on NIL deals with Penn State's primary collective.

Ohio State

When: Oct. 21
Where: Columbus. Ohio
Series History: Ohio State leads 24-41
Last Meeting: Ohio State 44-31 in 2022
Noteworthy: Penn State has lost five straight games in Columbus, last winning at Ohio Stadium against interim coach Luke Fickell in 2011. Thus begins a six-game stretch against the Big Ten East and a huge moment of opportunity for the Lions. Is this the year James Franklin finally wins at Ohio State?

Indiana

When: Oct. 28
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Penn State leads 24-2
Last Meeting: Penn State 45-14 in 2022
Noteworthy: Penn State is 13-0 at home against the Hoosiers. Will Tom Allen be the head coach when they return to Beaver Stadium? Indiana went sideways last season, losing seven of its last eight games after a 3-0 start. Allen needs to get out strong this season and turned to the transfer portal to fill gaping roster holes. Yet in some circles, the Hoosiers are an under bet at 3.5 wins for 2023.

Maryland

When: Nov. 4
Where: College Park, Md.
Series History: Penn State leads 42-3-1
Last Meeting: Penn State 30-0 in 2022
Noteworthy: Is Maryland a 2023 college football breakthrough team? ESPN's Chris Low thinks so. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is the centerpiece of that prediction, leading a passing attack that could surprise the conference. The Terps need to be better defensively, though, having ranked eighth in the Big Ten in scoring defense last season. Still. this is a fascinating date on the schedule, highlighted by the matchup against Maryland offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, whom Franklin often referred to as a rising star in the business when he worked at Penn State.

Michigan

When: Nov. 11
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Michigan leads 16-10
Last Meeting: Michigan 41-17 in 2022
Noteworthy: With Jim Harbaugh back (and probably going unsuspended this year) and another loaded roster, the Wolverines point themselves squarely to a third consecutive Big Ten title. But this could be Penn State's big play toward winning the East Division title. The run games (Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen vs. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards) will take center stage. This should be an electrifying Big Noon game on FOX.

Rutgers

When: Nov. 18
Where: Beaver Stadium
Series History: Penn State leads 31-2
Last Meeting: Penn State 55-10 in 2022
Noteworthy: Rutgers hasn't scored more than 10 points vs. Penn State since joining the Big Ten. Can new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who worked at Penn State in 2020, change that? He'll have work to do with quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, whose 44.8 completion rate ranked last among Big Ten quarterbacks with at least 110 attempts. In fact, Wimsatt was the only quarterback in that group who threw sub-.500.

Michigan State

When: Nov. 24
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
Series History: Michigan State leads 18-17-1
Last Meeting: Penn State 35-16 in 2022
Noteworthy: The Lions probably won't miss having this game relocated from East Lansing, even though they'll travel on a short week. Meanwhile, the Spartans and coach Mel Tucker need to hit reset after a withering 2022. But they're continuing to lose players to the portal, including starting quarterback Payton Thorne, who left for Auburn. Tucker has a free-agent offense that must come together quickly. Seems like an exhausting way to run a team. But November is a long way off, and Tucker has an opportunity to recapture a bit of that 2021 magic before then.

More on Penn State

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Is this the year Penn State and James Franklin win at Ohio State?

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Ahead of the 2023 season, the Lions' Chop Robinson says, 'I feel unstoppable'

How New England's Bill Belichick could help shape Penn State's 2023 season

Expectations are high for Penn State in 2023. But are they realistic?

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.