Matt Campbell’s first season at Penn State comes with a schedule that gives the Nittany Lions a real opening to make noise right away. The biggest challenge on that slate might be the USC Trojans, who look like the toughest opponent Penn State will face in 2026.
Campbell brings plenty of credibility into the job, and with transfer Rocco Becht at quarterback, expectations around PSU are already high. The setup is favorable enough that the Nittany Lions could be positioned for a strong debut year under their new head coach.
That’s the view Bjorn Bergstrom laid out in a recent projection, where he pegged Penn State for a 10-2 finish in Campbell’s first season. He pointed to the schedule as a major reason for optimism.
"In Matt Campbell’s first year at the helm after an extremely underrated stint at Iowa State, the Nittany Lions enjoy a very favorable schedule, missing Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. While they’ll finish with 10 wins, a nice bounce back from last season, think of them more as an 8- or 9-win-caliber team."
Even with that upbeat outlook, Bergstrom still had USC handing Penn State a reality check. The Trojans, he suggested, could be the kind of high-end Big Ten opponent that exposes the Nittany Lions a bit in Year 1.
Penn State may be ready to make its presence felt in the Big Ten quickly, but games against teams like USC will show just how far that first-year surge can go.
In Other News...
Waymond Jordan Just Gave USC Fans A Reason To Watch Honolulu Closely
Honolulu was already a familiar stop for Jayden Maiava, and the USC quarterback was back there again for a meet-and-greet and fundraiser tied to Aloha 1st Athletics and its Sports Week Hawaii initiative. He was joined by running back Waymond Jordan, giving Trojans fans another reminder that the programs Hawaii ties keep showing up in more than just recruiting conversations. Maiava has been active in the community there before, including a football clinic and school visits, while the event itself centered on a broader mission around sports, connection and support for local families.
Jordans presence carried its own significance for USC, especially with summer work and fall camp approaching. The running back is coming off an ankle injury from the 2025 season, and his return to public view in Honolulu offered a positive checkpoint after a long rehab stretch. For a team that will be watching its backfield closely, any update involving Jordan tends to draw interest, and this trip at least suggested he is moving in the right direction as the offseason rolls on. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Made USC Fans Even More Concerned About Notre Dame
For USC fans who have grown used to seeing Notre Dame on the schedule every fall, the news that the rivalry will not be played in 2026 lands with real sting. The annual meeting has been a fixture again since 2020, and before that kind of pause you have to go all the way back to World War II, so even a one-year break feels like a jolt for one of college footballs most familiar series.
The split is tied to a scheduling disagreement, with USC preferring an early-season game and Notre Dame pushing for a later date, and Lincoln Riley still said he wants the rivalry to continue. But his comments also left the door open to the idea that USC would be lining up for the game if a certain unresolved condition had been met, which is exactly the sort of detail that keeps this from feeling like a simple calendar issue. [Read more 🡒]
Three USC Returners Are Suddenly Carrying Lincoln Rileys Biggest Burden
USCs preseason spotlight has a way of settling on the obvious names, but the pressure inside Lincoln Rileys program is spreading beyond the headline stars. With a reloaded receiving corps around Maiava and a defense still sorting out new pieces, the Trojans are leaning on a handful of returners to stabilize both sides of the ball as expectations rise again in Los Angeles.
Hines is part of that burden on offense, where USC needs someone to emerge as a dependable target while the rest of the receiver room settles in. On the other side, Christian Pierce is being asked to help hold together a secondary that lost a key piece, and Jahkeem Stewart is among the defenders expected to make an immediate impact. The early schedule should offer a quick read on how ready those returners are, and whether this group can carry more of Rileys burden than it has before. [Read more 🡒]