Penn State Statistically Has One of the Easiest Big Ten Schedules in 2026

Penn State has one of the Big Ten's friendliest schedules based on the teams it doesn't play. There's no Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Iowa or Illinois on the 2026 schedule.

But what about the teams the Nittany Lions do play? Considering the combination of factors, Penn State indeed has one of the easiest schedules in the Big Ten and FBS, just as FOX Sports' Joel Klatt suggested when he said that Matt Campbell hit the scheduling "jackpot" in his first season.

Phil Steele, publisher of the indispensable College Football '26 Preview magazine, has ranked college football schedules based on opponent winning percentages. It's not necessarily a measure of schedule strength but a comparison of schedules based on opponent records from 2025.

Using this metric, Penn State's 2026 schedule is an opportunity. The Nittany Lions are tied with Navy's for 110th nationally in opponent winning percentage (48.3 percent). In the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions rank ahead of only Maryland (114th at 47.7 percent) and Wisconsin (124th at 46.6 percent) in opponent win percentage.

Date	Opponent	2026 Record	Location
Sept. 5	MARSHALL	5-7	Beaver Stadium
Sept. 12	Temple	5-7	Lincoln Financial Field
Sept. 19	BUFFALO	5-7	Beaver Stadium
Sept. 26	WISCONSIN	4-8	Beaver Stadium
Oct. 2	at Northwestern	7-6	Ryan Field
Oct. 10	USC	9-4	Beaver Stadium
Oct. 17	at Michigan	9-4	Michigan Stadium
Oct. 24	BYE
Oct. 31	PURDUE	2-10	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 7	at Washington	9-4	Husky Stadium
Nov. 14	MINNESOTA	8-5	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 21	RUTGERS	5-7	Beaver Stadium
Nov. 28	at Maryland	4-8	SECU Stadium

Penn State's 12 opponents went a combined 72-77 last season, with only three winning at least nine games. The schedule includes just three teams (USC, Michigan and Wisconsin) that were ranked or received votes in the final AP Top 25 poll and five that played in the postseason. Only five of the Nittany Lions' 12 opponents return with winning records.

Penn State's 2026 schedule certainly has challenges, notably the two-game stretch in October against USC and Michigan. They could be the only two ranked teams Penn State will face during the regular season. And the Nov. 7 trip to Washington will be a challenge, as the Huskies are 24-2 at home over since 2002.

However, as the numbers indicate, this schedule is curated for a potential run to 10 wins. First, the Nittany Lions open with three non-conference games against teams that all finished 2025 with losing records.

Marshall, Temple and Buffalo ranked 92nd, 102nd and 110th respectively in the most recent ESPN SP+ rankings (Penn State was 17th). None won more than five games last season and none has a SP+ ranking in positive numbers.

Penn State also benefits from playing one of their road games during the non-confernence season, a Sept. 12 visit to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the Owls.

The Nittany Lions then get a friendly runway into the Big Ten schedule at home against Wisconsin, which went 4-8 last season. Penn State is hosting the Badgers for the first time since 2018.

A scheduling test follows Oct. 2, when the Nittany Lions face Northwestern on Friday night at the new Ryan Field in Evanston. Northwestern chose the Penn State game as its opportunity to unveil the new stadium, and FOX chose to shift that game to Friday night.

Every time you pass by, there’s something new to see. 👀

The transformation of Ryan Field has been remarkable, and these photos capture just how quickly this world-class venue is coming together. 🔥🔥🔥

Can’t wait to see it packed with Purple on game day. 🟣⚪️⚫️#NewRyanField… pic.twitter.com/xpYECRTulT
— NUFB Recruiting (@NUFBRecruiting) June 16, 2026

Following its October bye week, Penn State concludes the regular season with a five-game run that includes only two teams with winning recors last season. The toughest of the stretch is a Nov. 7 visit to Washington, where the Nittany Lions have not played since 1921.

According to Phil Steele, the Big Ten's toughest 2026 schedule belongs to Ohio State, whose opponents return a win rate of 64.6 percent. Ohio State's schedule ranks as the second-toughest nationally to North Carolina.

Nebraska's ranks fourth, followed by Michigan and Northwestern (tied for sixth) and Indiana (11th). Penn State opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Marshall at Beaver Stadium.

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