Penn State Football: How the Nittany Lions’ Future and Already Defeated Opponents Are Doing This Season

Sitting at 5-0 on the year with plenty of football left to play, the bye week means no time like the present to check in with future and past opponents to see how Penn State’s resume and strength of schedule is unfolding as the year rolls along.

The Ones They’ve Played: 10-15

Purdue: 3-2 (1st in Big Ten West)

Purdue has won three out of its last four games after falling to Penn State in the season opener. The Boilermakers only loss of the year was late against now-ranked Syracuse. Purdue bounced back the following week to beat Minnesota on the road. The Boilermakers have Maryland, Nebraska and Wisconsin in the coming weeks with the middle of those two games back at home. There no currently ranked teams left on the schedule.

Ohio: 2-3 (4th in MAC East)

Two of Ohio’s losses come against Penn State and Iowa State so the Bobcats have had some tough sledding in the early portion of the schedule. A 59-52 win over Fordham is Ohio’s most recent win before falling to Kent State 31-24. Ohio has three of its next four at home which could help right the ship ever so slightly.

Auburn: 3-2 (4th in SEC West)

Auburn’s problems haven’t been solved since Penn State ran the Tigers off the field a few weeks ago, but a win over Missouri and a close loss to LSU have at least shown some signs of life. Auburn has Georgia coming up next week and just a boatload of SEC opponents to deal with. The Tigers have four ranked teams left on the schedule and all four of those games will be played on the road. Western Kentucky down the road is the only obvious win left on the schedule, and that’s assuming the wheels haven’t fallen off by then.

Central Michigan: 1-4 (4th in MAC West)

Losses to Oklahoma State and Penn State don’t help the record any but a 41-0 win over Bucknell gives Central Michigan at least a little bit of something to work with. Central Michigan has your typical MAC schedule coming the rest of the season so any momentum this program can generate the rest of the way at least won’t be interrupted by a trip to some Power 5 team it will have no chance against.

Northwestern: 1-4 (1st in Big Ten West)

Northwestern beat Nebraska in the opening week of the season and has proceeded to struggle the rest of the way. The Wildcats haven’t scored more than 24 points since the opener and have yet to win a game in North America, since that lone victory took place in Ireland. Northwestern throws the ball a ton but can’t do much more than that. Ohio State is the only ranked team left on the schedule; the Wildcats at least get to host that game, if nothing else. Otherwise, Northwestern will have to hope that the Big Ten West’s struggles will make life a bit easier.

The Ones To Come: 26-9

Michigan: 5-0 (1st in Big Ten East)

Michigan scored 50+ in each of its first three games but has scored less – slightly – in the following two weeks as Big Ten play has picked up. The Wolverines’ quarterback controversy seems to have lessened but Michigan is always good for a bit of midseason drama. Penn State and Ohio State are the only currently ranked teams left on Michigan’s schedule.

Minnesota: 4-1 (1st in Big Ten West)

The Gophers looked like they might be the real deal until falling 20-10 to Purdue last weekend in a real clunker of a game. Prior to that, wins over Colorado and Michigan State seemed to signal that PJ Fleck’s group was doing well for itself. 4-1 is nothing to laugh at and the Gophers have a pretty favorable schedule after a trip to State College in a few weeks. It stands to reason Minnesota will finish strong, even if that means beating a bunch bad teams in the western half of the Big Ten.

Ohio State: 5-0 (1st in Big Ten East)

The Buckeyes win over Notre Dame was impressive but has turned out to be less so as the Irish have struggled this season. All the same, it’s hard to argue with Ohio State’s skills and performance this year. Michigan and Penn State are the only ranked teams left on the schedule but the Buckeyes do only play three of their last seven games at home. That may not matter at all, but playing on the road is always just a bit tougher. The Buckeyes head to Michigan State next weekend with the Spartans desperate for something good to happen.

Indiana: 3-2 (4th in Big Ten East)

The Hoosiers have lost each of the last two weeks, falling to Nebraska and Cincinnati on the road which put a real stopper in a 3-0 start to the year. Indiana handed Illinois its only loss of the year this season, which counts for something, but playing in the Big Ten East means much bigger fish are ahead for Indiana. The Hoosiers host Michigan this weekend but will get Penn State and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks later in the year. No small task.

Maryland: 4-1 (4th in Big Ten East)

Maryland put up a good showing against Michigan but couldn’t quite figure it out in Ann Arbor. The Terrapins should be able to coast to a solid record by the time they travel to State College later in the year but will be rewarded with facing the Nittany Lions and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. Maryland is led by the wildly underrated quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and the Terps will give teams plenty to handle all year long. With a favorable schedule ahead, it will be awhile before we get to see what Maryland is made of again, but a 4-1 start certainly is a nice change of pace for this program.

Rutgers: 3-2 (6th in Big Ten East)

Rutgers appears to maybe not be all that bad this season, but playing in the Big Ten East doesn’t lend itself to many easy afternoons. After starting 3-0, the Scarlet Knights have come crashing back to earth, losing to Iowa and Ohio State in the past two weeks. The next few weeks are a bit more favorable but then it’s back to the usual suspects with Rutgers facing Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State over the course of three-straight weeks.

Michigan State: 2-3 (6th in Big Ten East)

The Spartans started off 2-0 but losses to Washington, Minnesota and Maryland have sent Michigan State into a spiral. Things won’t be getting any easier in the next few weeks with the Spartans set to host Ohio State and Wisconsin and then heading to Michigan and Illinois. It’s a strange thing to consider Illinois as a team that could beat Michigan State, but here we are. The three weeks ahead of Penn State hosting Michigan State could be more favorable for the Spartans but it’s hard to see this season turning around much for head coach Mel Tucker.