Greg McElroy is looking at Penn State’s 2026 season through a very different lens than most people might.
The former Alabama quarterback and current college football analyst believes Matt Campbell, fresh off a decade at Iowa State, could walk into Happy Valley and put the Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff picture right away. Not in a year or two. In Year 1.
McElroy has long been a believer in Campbell, and the appeal is obvious. Campbell became the winningest head coach in Iowa State history during his 10 seasons in Ames, finishing 72-55 from 2016-25. That kind of run may not have always turned heads nationally, but it clearly made an impression on McElroy.
Penn State, of course, is coming off a brutal 2025 season that McElroy described this way: “It was one of those years (last year) when it was national title or bust. And it went bust in spectacular fashion,”
From there, McElroy connected the dots to Campbell and the roster overhaul in State College.
“What did Penn State do? They went out and hired a coach that has done more with less for a very long time,” McElroy said.
“Campbell rebuilt the roster in his image, bringing in one of the best transfer classes in the country, headlined by his own quarterback (from Iowa State), Rocco Becht. He brought Iowa State’s leading rusher and four leading receivers to Happy Valley with him.”
The schedule, though, may be the biggest reason McElroy sees a path for Penn State. He pointed out that the Nittany Lions do not have to play Oregon, Ohio State or Indiana during the regular season.
“Why are they a Playoff contender? Well, one reason - the schedule.
Penn State does not play Oregon, Ohio State or Indiana,” McElroy explained. “If the transfers can gel early and Matt Campbell does what he does, then the Nittany Lions could be 6-0 before they head to Ann Arbor.”
That Michigan trip is set for Oct. 17, and if Penn State gets there unbeaten, McElroy’s preseason belief will suddenly look a lot less bold.
A fast start would also push Penn State into the Big Ten title conversation, and the market is already weighing in on how much noise the Nittany Lions might make in 2026.
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