Ranking the Biggest Challenges of Penn State's 2026 Football Schedule

The Nittany Lions might not face a top-10 team during the regular season.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht throws a pass during the Blue-White spring practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State is a consensus top-20 team in the post-spring college football rankings, landing in the 15-16 range despite what the staff itself has called a "very chaotic" offseason. Head coach Matt Campbell brought in 55 new players (40 from the transfer portal) during the most transitional winter in program history.

Still, the Nittany Lions carry 10-win expectations into the season, based largely on quarterback Rocco Becht's experience, their veteran roster and an enviable schedule. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt said that Campbell hit the scheduling jackpot in his first season, since he won't have to play Indiana, Ohio State or Oregon during the regular season.

So how does Penn State's schedule truly rate? CBS Sports ranked college football teams from 1-138, and overall the No. 18 Nittany Lions caught some breaks. They do face three top-20 teams, two on the road, but also miss all three Big Ten teams ranked in the top 6.

Here's a look at Penn State's 2026 schedule by order of post-spring rankings.

Date	Opponent	Location
Sept. 5	MARSHALL	Beaver Stadium
Sept. 12	at 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

1. Penn State vs. No 14 USC

This should be the no-doubt Penn State White Out, as USC is the highest-ranked program on the schedule and visiting Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1994. Quarterback Jayden Maiava will test Penn State's recalibrated secondary after throwing for 3,711 yards last season.

Lincoln Riley added two transfers with whom the Penn State roster will be familiar: former Penn State defensive end Zuriah Fisher and former Iowa State cornerback Jontez Williams. Riley also replaced defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, now at Penn State, with Gary Patterson.

2. Penn State at No. 16 Michigan

Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham watches a play during the spring game at Michigan Stadium. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kyle Whittingham vs. Matt Campbell represents the most intriguing matchup of new Big Ten coaches next season. And the game is in Ann Arbor, where Penn State has not won (2020 notwithstanding) since 2009.

Like Campbell, Whittingham imported much of his Utah staff to Michigan, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck and defensive coordinator Jay Hill. He also retained key Wolverines in quarterback Bryce Underwood, running back Jordan Marshall and receiver Andrew Marsh.

3. Penn State at No. 19 Washington

The Nittany Lions make their first trip to Seattle since 1921 to face a Jedd Fisch team that went 9-4 last season. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. stayed after checking out his portal options, a win for the Huskies, and Fisch brought in a top-20 recruiting class.

This game looms as a late litmus test for Campbell and the Nittany Lions, who don't visit Washington until early November.

4. Penn State vs. No. 40 Minnesota

Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck with the trophy after defeating the New Mexico Lobos in overtime of the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Minnesota brings a Rate Bowl trophy into 2026, which could be a pivotal year for head coach P.J. Fleck. The Gophers went 8-5 last season, after which they lost safety Koi Perich to Oregon, a major transfer move. Still, defensive end Anthony Smith is back after an all-Big Ten season in which he made 12.5 sacks, and running back Darius Taylor could be a 1,000-yard contender.

5. Penn State at No. 48 Northwestern

Northwestern chose Penn State to help open its new Ryan Field in a Friday-night game in early October. This will be Penn State's first Big Ten road game of the season against a program coming off a 7-6 season.

Wildcats coach David Braun made a wow offseason move, hiring Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator. He also brought in former UCLA assistant Jerry Neuheisel as quarterbacks coach. Penn State fans remember what Neuheisel did to the Nittany Lions as UCLA's interim OC last year.

6. Penn State at No. 51 Maryland

Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley reacts during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The last time they visited Maryland, the Nittany Lions scored a fourth-down passing touchdown as time expired to beat the Terps 44-7. Maryland coach Mike Locksley called the late shot "bull----."

Locksley and James Franklin will see each other again in September, when Maryland hosts Virginia Tech (delicious). So it's up to Campbell to continue what the Maryland coach has called a "fake rivalry."

7. Penn State vs. No. 61 Wisconsin

The Badgers visit Beaver Stadium for their Big Ten opener in September. For coach Luke Fickell, it could be a meaningful game in his fourth season. Wisconsin went 4-8 last season, after which the athletic department expanded the program's NIL initiatives.

Old Dominion's Colton Joseph takes over at quarterback, while former Iowa State running back Amu Sama II gets to challenge his former coach.

8. Penn State vs. No. 64 Rutgers

Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano reacts against the Penn State Nittany Lions at SHI Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Greg Schiano nearly ended Penn State's 2025 season in November, but then the Nittany Lions returned the most Rutgers of fumbles in a 40-36 win in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights don't usually bring such heroics to Beaver Stadium, where they haven't won since 1988.

Still, hope springs and all that, and Schiano hopes that former Boston College/Alabama quarterback Dylan Lonergan is an offensive answer.

9. Penn State vs. No. 88 Marshall

The Thundering Herd went 5-7 last season under first-year coach Tony Gibson, who replaced Charles Huff. Penn State fans remember Huff as the former Nittany Lions running backs coach who mentored Saquon Barkley.

Marshall continues to rebuild after Huff's departure to Southern Miss, where he brought a big contingent of transfers. Thundering Herd quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who likely will start the season-opener, threw for 2,043 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

10. Penn State vs. No. 99 Purdue

The Boilermakers went 2-10 last season and will need quarterback Ryan Browne to improve in Year 2. Browne had the lowest QB rating of any Big Ten starter last season, when his completion rate was 58.9 percent.

11. Penn State at No. 104 Temple

Temple Owls head coach K.C. Keeler on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Penn State plays one of its occasional "road" games at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where Temple will be the home team in September. It's the first time the Nittany Lions will see Temple coach K.C. Keeler, who won two FCS national championships.

And who knows? The Owls' starting quarterback just might be former Nittany Lion Jaxon Smolik.

12. Penn State vs. No. 115 Buffalo

The Nittany Lions get a Week 2 visit from Buffalo, which is coming off a 5-7 season. Third-year coach Pete Lembo has a Division II transfer quarterback in Elijah Holmes, who was very productive at Wingate last season (3,040 yards, 24 TDs, six interceptions). Buffalo returns to Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2019.

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