At long last, the Big Ten revealed the final details of Penn State’s 2026 football schedule, including the order and dates of the Nittany Lions’ conference games.
Penn State avoided all three Big Ten squads that made the College Football Playoff last season, setting up for a very manageable schedule in Matt Campbell’s first year in Happy Valley.
Here’s an early prediction for the Nittany Lions’ season.
Marshall: Win
The Nittany Lions should kick off the 2026 campaign with a comfortable win over the Thundering Herd, which are coming off a 5-7 season last year. In the 21st century, Marshall has just a 7-34 record against power conference schools (and Notre Dame), though it does have recent wins against the Fighting Irish (2022) and Virginia Tech (2023).
Marshall brought in head coach Tony Gibson, formerly the defensive coordinator at NC State, last season after former Penn State special teams coordinator Charles Huff left for Southern Miss. While Gibson’s team failed to reach bowl eligibility, four losses came by just one score.
The Thundering Herd brought in a large influx of players, including 19 recruits and 25 transfers, but the overall group of newcomers ranks No. 110 nationally, per 247Sports. Simply put, the talent isn’t enough to expect a competitive game.
Temple: Win
The Nittany Lions will play on the road against a Group of 5 team for the first time since 2015 — also at Temple, which resulted in a 27-10 loss. However, Penn State should avoid that fate this time around against a program that finished just 5-7 and 3-5 in American Conference action a season ago.
Temple did bring in the No. 71 rated transfer-plus-recruiting class, including former Nittany Lions Kaleb Artis, Jaxon Smolik, Kolin Dinkins and Joey Schlaffer, but there’s still a sizable talent disparity.
Buffalo: Win
Like the previous two squads, the Bulls finished 5-7 last season, including a 4-4 record against MAC competition. Penn State has an overall record of 39-2 against MAC schools, including a 3-0 record against Buffalo, and is riding a 14-game winning streak dating back to 2012.
The Nittany Lions will likely be large favorites over the Bulls, who brought in the No. 103 transfer-plus-recruiting class this offseason and have just five returning starters from last year’s squad, leaving unproven commodities across the board.
Wisconsin: Win
Penn State is riding a six-game winning streak against the Badgers, which will likely continue in 2026. Wisconsin has struggled under head coach Luke Fickell’s leadership, posting a worse record each season and bottoming out at 4-8 last year with just two Big Ten wins.
The Badgers didn’t put together a particularly impressive recruiting-and-portal haul (No. 66 overall, No. 17 Big Ten) and lack an identity on both sides of the ball.
Northwestern: Win
The Wildcats topped the Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium last season, 22-21, ultimately leading to James Franklin’s firing, and they’ll look to do so again with homefield advantage.
Northwestern finished 7-6 and 4-5 in conference play and capitalized on the momentum this offseason, with solid continuity on the coaching staff and roster and an impressive transfer haul including quarterback Aiden Chiles.
The Wildcats’ incoming contingent ranks No. 53 in the country and bulks up depth, giving them one of their most talented rosters in recent memory. This game may be closer than expected, but Penn State still has the better and more proven team on paper.
USC: Win
The Trojans have one of the more talented rosters in the country and add the No. 6 incoming recruit-and-transfer haul, including plenty of blue-chips on both sides of the ball. This may be the first game where Penn State doesn’t have the most athletic team on the field.
However, the Trojans have notoriously struggled when traveling across multiple time zones under Lincoln Riley (2-7 overall) including multiple losses as a favorite. Additionally, Penn State will likely appoint this matchup as the White Out, creating an even bigger homefield advantage.
USC will also be coming off back-to-back games against Oregon and Washington, who could both be ranked opponents.
This matchup will likely come down to one or two plays, but the intangibles give the Nittany Lions an edge.
Michigan: Loss
Both teams are breaking in new coaching staffs, but Michigan experienced less player turnover and is bringing in a recruiting-and-transfer class that ranks No. 12, including several instant impact starters.
On paper, the Wolverines have more stars on the roster and have the advantage of playing at home, possibly as an undefeated squad. New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham’s Utah teams typically played well out of a bye week, which the Wolverines will have before welcoming the Nittany Lions.
Purdue: Win
Penn State will have its bye week to regroup after facing the Wolverines before hosting Purdue at Beaver Stadium. The Boilermakers finished just 2-10 and 0-9 in conference play last season, with most losses coming in blowout fashion.
Purdue brought in a large portal class this offseason to supplement the roster, but it’s not loaded with stars and likely won’t make a huge impact on a team that finished last in the Big Ten in 2025.
Washington: Loss
One of the tougher games on Penn State’s slate, the Nittany Lions will travel to Seattle to face the Huskies. Penn State narrowly escaped with an overtime victory over USC two years ago and lost to UCLA last season, showcasing struggles on West Coast trips.
The Huskies finished 2025 9-4 and 5-4 in conference play, playing solid football down the stretch. The return of quarterback Demond Williams Jr. provides continuity offensively despite the loss of several talented skill players like running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston.
Washington brings in the No. 13 recruiting class and supplements it with a modest transfer portal haul that bolsters depth.
The Huskies may be undefeated or with one loss after an easy September and October schedule, and the homefield environment at Husky Stadium is legit.
Minnesota: Win
The Golden Gophers have seen sustained success under head coach PJ Fleck but haven’t broken through with any Big Ten title game or College Football Playoff appearances. Last season, Minnesota went 8-5 after beating New Mexico in the Rate Bowl to extend its postseason winning streak.
While they lost star safety Koi Perich to the transfer portal, many key players return, including quarterback Drake Lindsey, talented running back Darius Taylor and leading tackler Maverick Baranowski. The Golden Gophers also brought in 50 players between freshmen and transfers, a group that ranks No. 27 overall and No. 7 in the Big Ten.
Minnesota has an identity and boasts continuity on both sides of the ball, giving it a potential advantage over Penn State, though the game will be in Beaver Stadium and the Nittany Lions could be battling to keep playoff hopes alive.
Expect a close matchup, but Penn State has more playmakers and more ways to win, in addition to homefield advantage.
Rutgers: Win
The Nittany Lions have dominated the Scarlet Knights historically, holding a 33-2 all-time advantage, including an 18-game winning streak — tied for the second-longest active streak between two power conference schools. While past results don’t indicate future outcomes, the two programs consistently find themselves on different tiers in the college football world.
Rutgers finished the 2025 campaign at 5-7, including a 40-36 loss to the Nittany Lions at home, and hasn’t made any splashy coaching hires or player additions this offseason.
The Scarlet Knights do bring back quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff, potentially providing some offensive firepower next season, but the defense remains a glaring issue that wasn’t addressed this offseason.
Maryland: Win
The Terrapins are another squad Penn State has had ample success against, with a 44-3-1 all-time advantage. That should continue into 2026, as Maryland is coming off a 4-8 season with a 1-8 conference record.
The Terrapins return blue-chip quarterback Malik Washington, but they’ve given him little support and lose their three leading receivers. The defense could take a jump forward, with several returning starters and key underclassmen returning, particularly in the front seven.
The incoming unit of freshmen and transfers ranks No. 55 overall and No. 15 in the conference and includes just one four- or five-star player. While Maryland gets this matchup at home, it likely won’t help overcome the talent difference.
Record: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
