Rece Davis Predicts College Football Powerhouse to Become ‘Big Ten’s Next Indiana’

A Big Ten program that imported two dozen players from one roster now has a veteran quarterback and a schedule that could produce a very fast turnaround.

ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis believes this Big Ten program can replicate Indiana's success. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Since it's the college football offseason, what else can we do but speculate? Coming off last year's title run from Indiana and head coach Curt Cignetti, much of the college football conversation is speculating whether that level of success can be done again elsewhere.

College GameDay host Rece Davis spent part of the show's latest episode looking for the next Indiana. He landed on a program that already owns a national title and a playoff semifinal appearance.

"I submit to you the Penn State Nittany Clones," Davis said, alluding to the team having the potential to replicate Indiana's success, perhaps more their 11-2 2024 season rather than last year's 16-0 national championship run.

What Rece Davis said about Penn State and Indiana

Davis built the comparison on two things, the first being roster movement. Twenty-four Iowa State players followed Matt Campbell from Ames to Happy Valley, part of a group of 39 transfers. That is a bigger haul than the one Curt Cignetti brought from James Madison to Indiana in 2024. Campbell also hired D'Anton Lynn, a former Nittany Lions cornerback who ran the defense at USC the past two seasons.

The second reason for the comparison is the calendar because Penn State does not play Ohio State, Indiana or Oregon this fall.

"They ought to be 4-0 through September," Davis said.

Co-hosts Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel mostly agreed, but didn't believe Penn State to be a serious contender.

Iowa State transfers at Penn State

Rocco Becht is the reason a fast start is possible. The senior quarterback from Zephyrhills, Florida, owns 26 wins as a starter, more than any returning passer in the country. He had shoulder surgery after last season and was limited in the spring, but Campbell said in April that the rehab was ahead of schedule.

Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser called plays for Becht at Iowa State, and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters made the move too. Five assistants in all came over from Ames.

Where Penn State ranks in the Big Ten preseason poll

In the preseason media poll released on Monday, the Nittany Lions were picked seventh, behind Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, USC, Michigan and Washington. No Penn State player got a single vote for preseason player of the year.

ESPN's SP+ projects Campbell's team 17th with 9.1 average wins, and only three of the Big Ten's ten projected top-40 teams are on the schedule. Even the man who built the model is only cautiously optimistic about the Nittany Lions.

How much is expected of the Nittany Lions and Penn State head coach Matt Campbell in Year 1? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SP+ creator Bill Connelly wrote that "projecting PSU 17th in the country feels about 10-15 spots too high to me."

Only seven Penn State players who took 200 or more snaps last season are back, and three of them started.

Penn State's real test starts in October

Marshall, Temple, Buffalo and Wisconsin make for a soft opening month, and so Davis's 4-0 predicted start is a fair expectation for the State College program.

The league still has a clear top three in Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. USC and Michigan sit just under them. Penn State and Washington belong on the next line down. Beating good teams is the thing Campbell has not yet shown he can do at this level, and the first real test arrives when USC visits Beaver Stadium on Oct. 10 and again a week later in Ann Arbor.

Nine wins and a New Year's bowl would be a strong first season for the new Penn State staff, and that would still leave this group a step behind the three teams that will decide the Big Ten.