ESPN’s preseason bowl projections have Penn State headed to familiar postseason territory, even if the Nittany Lions are not in the College Football Playoff picture.
Both Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura slotted Penn State into the Citrus Bowl on January 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The two projections split on the SEC opponent. Schlabach has Alabama facing Penn State, while Bonagura puts Texas A&M across from the Nittany Lions.
If it’s Alabama, the history leans heavily toward the Crimson Tide, who hold a 10-5 edge in the series. Penn State’s only bowl win against Alabama came at the 1959 Liberty Bowl.
If it’s Texas A&M, Penn State would have the more favorable recent track record. The teams have met four times, and the Nittany Lions have won three of those games, including a 2-0 mark against the Aggies in the Alamo Bowl.
Penn State’s bowl history is already loaded. The program has played in 57 bowl games, and its six Citrus Bowl appearances rank second all-time in the game. The Nittany Lions have won the Citrus Bowl twice, beating Tennessee in 1994 and LSU in 2010.
The Matt Campbell era begins on September 5, when No. 17 in the Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the AP Poll Penn State hosts Marshall at 3:30 PM Eastern at Beaver Stadium. Campbell will try to do what James Franklin did in his first season, since Franklin is the only Penn State head coach to guide the team to a bowl game in year one. That came in 2014, when Penn State beat Boston College 31-30 in the Pinstripe Bowl.
In Other News...
Cael Sanderson Just Raised Expectations For Penn State Freshman Jayden James
Cael Sanderson doesnt hand out praise lightly, so his assessment of true freshman Jayden James carries real weight as Penn State watches the New Jersey standout try to close out his run at the U20 World Championship. James arrived in Happy Valley with plenty of buzz after a decorated high school career, and he already looks like the kind of wrestler who can handle the jump to the next level. Sandersons comments only add to the intrigue around where James fits as the Nittany Lions sort out their lineup for the season ahead.
The bigger question is where James lands in Penn States mix, with 174 pounds emerging as a logical possibility if he proves ready to battle there right away. His style, credentials and early reputation all point to a wrestler who could fit seamlessly into the programs high standards, but Penn State still has to make the final call on how to deploy him. For a team that measures success by national titles, even a freshmans weight-class decision can feel like a meaningful piece of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Had A Viral Week Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
Penn States week was already drawing attention after the athletic department rolled out 2027 football season-ticket pricing tied to stadium renovations, with some seats set to cost noticeably more. For fans, it was the kind of off-field announcement that instantly turns into a bigger conversation about what the program is becoming, especially when the changes touch a stadium they care about every fall.
The noise only grew when quarterback Rocco Becht became part of the discussion after it emerged he is taking one online graduate class this fall while remaining fully eligible under NCAA rules. What should have been a routine note about a player using the system responsibly instead spiraled into social media debate, drawing remarks from a U.S. senator and Bechts father and giving Penn State another viral moment it probably did not ask for. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Massive Lines Are Fueling A Fascinating Identity Debate
Penn States roster makeover up front has been hard to miss, with the offensive and defensive lines carrying far more bulk than they did in recent seasons. Several of those additions came through the transfer portal, giving the Nittany Lions a different kind of look as they try to build toward the kind of physical edge that has defined some of the programs best teams. It is the sort of shift that naturally invites comparisons to the standard-setters in Penn State history, including the memorable lines from 1994 and 1981.
The bigger question now is what that added size means for the teams identity under Matt Campbell. More mass on both fronts can help a team hold up in the trenches, but it can also change how that team wants to play and what kind of tempo or style it can sustain. Penn State has clearly chosen to lean into a more imposing profile, and the real intrigue is whether that change ends up looking like a strength or a trade-off once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]