Blue White Illustrated

West Virginia: Regional rival, good football. They play in the oil and gas conference, so their games are in a re- gion of the country where we are not as well-known. This is how you strategi- cally get your name out there without spending a ton of money. Every week, folks in that region talk WVU, and they would be thinking Penn State. SRATH Florida: To continue the recruiting momentum and presence that James Franklin and Ja'Juan Seider have started, and to have another good Southeastern Conference opponent to include and help with strength-of- schedule, after the Auburn home- and-home series is done. Also, I would like to see another good SEC opponent to help with strength-of- schedule. pioneerlion83 Boston College, Virginia or some other Atlantic Coast Conference schools. They would be good travel lo- cations. foxnit LSU: Great fans and a tremendous place to watch a game. They play all their home games at night. Notre Dame: Would be a nationally televised game and great exposure. Georgia or Miami: Penn State played both teams for the national champi- onship back in the 1980s. Great re- cruiting exposure, too. pittsbay How about Mississippi State for that Southern exposure? I believe we have some connections down there. j4golf Tennessee: Always wanted a home- and-home with them. Neyland Stadium would be a dream trip. NittanyLogan'11 As our big game out of conference? I'd go with: 1.) Georgia; 2.) North Car- olina. That's for all Southeastern fans and for recruiting, plus those are great campuses. I'd like UCLA and Texas, but it's too much travel for the long Big Ten season. drock1971 1.) UCF: A tough opponent in a region that Penn State is actively recruiting and where it is gaining momentum. 2.) UCLA: Get some West Coast eyes on the program to improve the chances of the rare pluck out of California. 3.) Syracuse: A program with some history against PSU; should always be a W, and the optics are better than, say, Villanova. ZombieHaitian 1.) Arizona State: Because I live in Phoenix, plus a West Coast swing would always be good. 2.) New Hampshire or Maine: I mean, if we are taking on Villanova and the Blue Hens, why not? 3.) Florida or Florida State: This would really cement our inroads into Florida recruiting. 4.) Notre Dame: But with the priviso that we must beat the living crap out of them. henrymale Texas or Texas A&M in one of the neutral-site kickoff classics in either Dallas or Houston. The Dallas/Fort Worth area and the greater Houston area are the two recruiting hotbeds in the state. Texas Nit In terms of interesting opponents that would make for appealing games: 1.) South Florida, UCF or one of the second-tier Florida schools 2.) Boise State NittanyLager tany Lions will play Ohio State and Michigan on consecutive weekends. Penn State had previously announced that it would be playing home-and- home nonconference series against West Virginia, Auburn and Virginia Tech. The games against the Tigers will be Sept. 18, 2021, at Beaver Stadium and Sept. 17, 2022, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Penn State has never played Auburn during the regular season. The games against Virginia Tech will take place on Sept. 12, 2020, in Blacks- burg, and Sept. 6, 2025, at Penn State. The Nittany Lions and Hokies have never met. In addition to Bowling Green's visit in 2024, Penn State's recently announced nonconference games will be against Temple, Villanova and Delaware. The Lions will face Temple on Sept. 12, 2026, in Philadelphia and Sept. 18, 2027, at Beaver Stadium. The series against the Owls dates back to 1931 and includes 45 games, 40 of which have been won by Penn State. In their last meeting two years ago, Penn State pulled out a 34-27 victory at home. Penn State has played Villanova nine times in his history, but the most recent of those games was in 1951, a 20-14 loss in Allentown, Pa., in Rip Engle's second season as head coach. The Wildcats will visit Beaver Stadium on Sept. 25, 2021, and Sept. 13, 2025. The games against Delaware – on Sept. 9, 2023, and Sept. 11, 2027 – will be the first between the two teams. Penn State also announced that it would be playing host to Central Michi- gan on Sept. 24, 2022, The Nittany Lions won the only previous game in 2005, 40-3. In addition, a report in August from a Texas-based website stated that Penn State was talking with the Longhorns about arranging a home-and-home se- ries in 2030 and '31. The Nittany Lions have played Texas five times, winning three of those games, the most recent of which was a 38-15 win in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl. Penn State's schedules through the 2025 season can be found on page 63. ■ QUESTION What nonconference opponent would you most like to see the Nittany Lions schedule in upcoming seasons? W E B S U R V E Y

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