Penn State’s 2026 schedule has a clear headliner at home, a pair of tricky road trips and a few spots where things could get messy if the Nittany Lions aren’t locked in.
The easiest place to start is Beaver Stadium, where USC stands alone as the toughest home game. Penn State hosts the Trojans on Oct. 10, and all three roundtable picks landed on the same answer.
Jon Sauber pointed to the combination of USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Trojans’ offensive talent and Lincoln Riley’s play-calling as the biggest test Penn State will see at home. He also noted that this will be the first major challenge for Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn against his former team.
Josh Moyer called it the only top-25 home opponent on the schedule and said USC brings a type of challenge Penn State may not see again until the postseason. He highlighted Maiava as “ one of the prettiest deep balls in the country.” Moyer added that if Penn State can get past USC, “it wouldn’t be premature to start talking playoffs.”
Bret Pallotto also landed on USC, calling the Trojans the premier visitor to Beaver Stadium in what he described as a weak home slate. He added that USC’s trip east comes after games against Oregon and Washington, a stretch that could leave Riley’s team either highly ranked or facing questions.
On the road, the panel split between Michigan and Washington, but the final answer still centered on two difficult trips.
Sauber went with Washington on Nov. 7, saying the travel, the timing and quarterback Demond Williams make it the more dangerous of the two. He said Washington could be in the same playoff picture as Penn State, which could turn the game into an elimination matchup.
Moyer chose Michigan on Oct. 17, arguing that Penn State’s offense remains the more persistent question and that the Wolverines’ defensive line could create major problems. He also pointed out that Michigan has won the last three meetings in the series.
Pallotto also picked Michigan, citing Penn State’s long drought in Ann Arbor with fans in attendance. He said the teams enter the season with similar expectations and summed up the trip with a simple line: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
As for the trap-game conversation, the picks were spread out.
Sauber chose the Oct. 2 game at Northwestern, and the setup is easy to see. Penn State will be the Wildcats’ first opponent in the new Ryan Field, the game is on a Friday night, and Chip Kelly is now the offensive coordinator. Sauber still doesn’t expect a loss, but he does expect more resistance than the matchup might suggest on paper.
Moyer looked all the way to Nov. 28 at Maryland, saying Penn State could come in flat after the Rutgers game the week before, especially in a post-Thanksgiving setting. He noted that Maryland quarterback Malik Washington, a true freshman last season, is the key figure after an uneven debut year.
Pallotto picked the Sept. 12 trip to Temple, calling it a noon kickoff that could follow a win in Matt Campbell’s debut. He said the Owls return nine starters and have K.C. Keeler entering his second season, which gives the game enough ingredients to land in trap-game territory.
In Other News...
Penn State Is Still Waiting On A Key Tight End Return
Penn States tight end room has had to keep moving without one of its most experienced pieces this spring. Gabe Burkle, a redshirt senior and Iowa State transfer, is expected to be one of the Nittany Lions top options at the position when healthy, but he is still working his way back from the ACL injury that cut into his 2025 season and limited him to nine games.
Even with Burkle sidelined from practice, his influence has not disappeared from the room. He has been helping younger tight ends get comfortable in the offense and sharpen their skills, a useful presence for a group that is still sorting out its depth and development. For Penn State, the timeline on Burkles return remains a meaningful subplot because his availability could shape how quickly the position settles in once the season pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Rebuilt Backfield Is Drawing Early National Attention
Penn States reworked backfield is already getting noticed beyond State College, with Carson Hansen and James Peoples both landing on the 2026 Doak Walker Award Watch List. The honor goes to the nations top running backs, and it gives an early hint that the Nittany Lions believe they have added real punch to a rushing attack now being shaped under new head coach Matt Campbell.
Hansen arrived from Iowa State, while Peoples came over from Ohio State, and both are expected to factor heavily as Penn State tries to establish itself on the ground again. The award race will tighten as the season goes on, with semifinalists due in November and the winner set to be announced in December, so this is only the first checkpoint for a pair of backs with plenty still to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Faces A Huge Recruiting Test With Elite 2028 Linebacker
Penn State is already laying the groundwork for its 2028 recruiting class, with three commitments in place and contact spreading across several positions. One of the early names worth watching is four-star linebacker Skylar Alston of Raleigh, N.C., a prospect whose profile fits neatly with a program that has long sold itself on developing linebackers as well as anyone in the country. He has already made the rounds on the visit circuit, including an unofficial stop in Happy Valley, and his recruitment is shaping up as the kind of multi-school battle that tends to stretch well beyond the summer.
For Penn State, the challenge is not just getting Alston on campus again, but making the connection feel deeper than a first impression. The Nittany Lions will look to lean on their linebacker tradition as they build this relationship, and a possible fall game-day visit could give them another chance to separate themselves from the pack. For now, though, the race remains crowded, and Penn State still has to prove it can turn early interest into real traction. [Read more 🡒]