Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
1 1 4 A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T here is more room for error in college football these days than there used to be, thanks to the expanded Col- lege Football Playoff. However, while the CFP's recent growth spurt has been part of a sweeping wave of change that has transformed the sport, one thing is as true today as it was in years past: To win big, a lot needs to go right. It only takes one or two issues, errors or injuries to send a team spiraling into a tailspin from which it cannot recover. Penn State fans know this phenom- enon all too well. While the Nittany Lions created a lot of their own luck en route to an appear- ance in the CFP semifinals two years ago, they also took advantage of some breaks that simply came their way. Think back to the narrow victories over USC and Minnesota in 2024. In both games, the Lions did a lot to shape the positive outcome. A trick play in which tight end Tyler Warren snapped the ball, then sprinted downfield to catch it for a touchdown started the process of dig- ging Penn State out of a 20-6 halftime hole in Los Angeles. Against the Go- phers, a fourth-quarter fumble put PSU in position to go up 26-22, and then a late goal-to-go stand resulted in a Minnesota field goal that made it 26-25 before PSU ran the clock out. Either result could have been different if some of those plays had gone the other way. That point was driven home the following season when Penn State didn't catch many breaks. The Lions' downhill slide in 2025 started when Drew Allar threw an over- time interception to end the Oregon game. Days later, star linebacker Tony Rojas was lost for the year with an ACL injury. And a few days after Rojas was knocked out of action, the Penn State defense was shredded in a shocking road loss at UCLA. One week later, Allar was lost for the season with his own injury, the Lions fell to Northwestern at home, and James Franklin's tenure was over. The point is this: Lucky bounces and breaks in either direction will often de- fine a season as much as anything else. Spectacular plays will, too, of course: Does Indiana beat Penn State and go on to win the national championship with- out two of the best catches of the 2025 season to get in position for and then score a go-ahead touchdown at Beaver Stadium? Maybe. But those plays cer- tainly made their path easier. We say all that to say this: Where Matt Campbell's first season in State College ends will be determined by a number of factors. Some will have a bigger say in the outcome than others. However, two ar- eas in particular tower over the rest, from our point of view. The first involves the health and per- formance of redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht. He was a productive passer during his time at Iowa State, but his numbers — and the Cyclones' success — dropped off considerably last fall when he tried to play through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. He's healthy now, and that's key. But staying that way is crucial, too, with no proven depth behind him. For Penn State to reach its goals, Becht needs to stay healthy all sea- son and serve as the capable conductor of the offense that he was in Ames. The second area of utmost importance is one Campbell has discussed: How will this team come together and respond when adversity hits, as it inevitably will? The 2026 Nittany Lions are made up of players and coaches who will have only been together for about seven and a half months when the season kicks off in early September. Will there be in-fight- ing between the transfers and returnees when something doesn't go as planned? Or will the leadership be good enough to navigate challenging waters? If the former happens, a repeat of 2025 is likely. But if the latter takes place, Penn State will have every opportunity to rise to the level it wants to reach and that fans expect. There are other areas that matter. but from this perspective, Becht's play and the resolve of these Penn State players and staffers will define the Nittany Lions this fall. And for better or worse, until we see it in action on the first Saturday in September, one can only wonder which side of the coin things will fall as the Campbell era begins. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL GREG.PICKEL@ON3.COM Penn State Will Need Better Luck In 2026 THE LAST WORD When current redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2025 campaign, it was the start of a defensive slide that contributed to the Nittany Lions' fall from playoff contention. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT