Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
2 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 6 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / BIGGEST QUESTIONS 1. Will Penn State make the playoff? At 9-3, no. At 10-2 with losses to USC and Michigan, there's probably going to be a debate. At 10-2 with a split of the aforemen- tioned games and a second loss at Washing- ton, it's a firm yes. The schedule is nothing short of a dream scenario for Year 1 of the Matt Campbell era. It presents opportunities that might not have been realistic for a largely rebuilt Penn State team had it drawn Ohio State, Oregon and/ or Indiana. The slate could become a liabil- ity if PSU heads into Selection Sunday with losses to the Trojans and Wolverines and wins against everyone else. But if the new staff were to field a borderline playoff team in its first season, that would be a victory in itself. 2. What is a realistic expectation? Given the massive overhaul of the roster and coaching staff — all of which happened on a compressed timeline — it's practically impos- sible to make a confident prediction about Penn State's finish in 2026. Could the Nittany Lions go 11-1, with their only loss coming against Michigan or USC? Sure. But they could also go 7-5 with a surprise loss or two lurking somewhere on the schedule. Neither extreme seems likely, though, so we'll split the difference and tenta- tively call for a 9-3 record. 3. Who's the most irreplaceable player? Ethan Grunkemeyer is now at Virginia Tech, and the availability of redshirt freshman Alex Manske is uncertain (though trending posi- tively) after he headed home to Iowa for sev- eral weeks this spring to recover from an un- specified medical condition. That means the Nittany Lions need to do everything in their power to keep redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht healthy for the duration. Even with senior Connor Barry reportedly faring well this spring in his transition from Division III to the Big Ten, Becht is PSU's most irreplaceable player, and there isn't a close second. 4. Who needs to make the biggest leap? The Nittany Lions will need redshirt fresh- man Malachi Goodman to be ready on Day 1 for a critical role. He didn't play a single snap last year, but the highly touted lineman is penciled in to start at left tackle. He'll be protecting Becht's blind side, which makes his position one of the team's most important. It will be a baptism by fire, but within the program, there's a lot of confidence that the 6-foot-6, 330-pound Goodman is ready for the challenge. 5. Which game will define the season? Penn State is going to face the top two op- ponents on its slate — USC and Michigan — on consecutive Saturdays in early October. Still, the make-or-break stretch is likely to come in early November when the Lions face Washington and Minnesota back-to-back. Even if PSU falls to both the Trojans and Wolverines, it could still realistically enter November with a shot at the playoff. A Penn State team with two or fewer losses traveling to face an 8-0 or 7-1 Washington team on Nov. 7 would carry massive implications. TOUGHEST GAMES 1. At Michigan | Oct. 17 The reason this game tops our list is because it combines an opponent that's had Penn State's number lately and a venue that has not been kind to the Nittany Lions over the years. PSU has lost its past three matchups with Michigan, and it's gone 4-9 at the Big House since playing there for the first time in 1994. Both programs are about to begin new coaching eras this fall, so maybe that history isn't very relevant. It's still going to be tough to leave Ann Arbor with a win, especially if Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood takes the leap forward that many Wolverine watch- ers have envisioned after an up-and-down freshman season. 2. USC | Oct. 10 When the Trojans last visited Beaver Sta- dium, in 1994, they got wrecked. Penn State led by 2 touchdowns with little more than two minutes gone in the first quarter. It led 35-0 at halftime and ended up coasting to a 38-14 vic- tory. USC coach John Robinson said afterward, "We were overwhelmed right off the bat." Robinson could surely never have imagined a world in which the Trojans would be visit- ing places like State College, Piscataway and College Park with regularity, but here we are. The Big Ten's new West Coast teams have had their share of problems when they've crossed multiple time zones, including USC's 29-28 loss at Maryland in 2024. Still, any team that boasts Jayden Maiava at quarterback is likely to be a tough out. 4. At Washington | Nov. 7 Speaking of infrequently visited places, the Nittany Lions haven't been to Washington since 1921. Hugo Bezdek was Penn State's coach at the time. Shortly after battling Pitt to a 0-0 tie at Forbes Field, he and his team boarded a train bound for Seattle. It took them two days to get there, but the journey ended happily for Penn State, with the visitors rolling to a 21-7 win. This year's return trip should be a lot more challenging. Demond Williams Jr. is one of the Big Ten's top quarterbacks, and as its former Pac-12 rivals Oregon and USC know all too well, Washington can be hard to handle at Husky Stadium. 4. Minnesota | Nov. 14 Ever wonder whether P.J. Fleck got any consideration from Penn State when its head coaching post was open last year? All the guy does at Minnesota is overachieve. His classes never get much love from the recruiting ser- vices, yet he's led the Gophers to seven bowl games in the past eight years, and he's won all of them. He'll probably do it again this year, thanks to a roster that includes one of the Big Ten's top edge rushers in Anthony Smith and potentially one of its best quarterbacks in Drake Lindsey. Redshirt senior Rocco Becht is the only quarterback on Penn State's roster with more than a handful of snaps at the Division I level. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS PENN STATE'S TOP FIVE …