Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
4 2 O C T O B E R 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 F or the past decade, Matt Camp- bell's Big Ten season consisted of one game: Iowa State's annual nonconference matchup against Iowa. Campbell went 3-6 against the Hawk- eyes (the 2020 game was canceled), but all three of those wins came in the past four years. Once he got the Cyclones roll- ing, he was a real thorn in Kirk Ferentz's side. The first-year Penn State coach won't see the Hawkeyes this fall, but he and his staff have nine other Big Ten opponents to contend with, a list that starts with this year's conference opener against Wisconsin on Sept. 26 at Beaver Sta- dium. Here's a look at how BWI sees the con- ference race shaping up. Predicted Order Of Finish 1. Ohio State The Buckeyes have the nation's best pitch-catch combo in junior quarterback Julian Sayin and junior receiver Jeremiah Smith. That alone will take them a long way, and it's not as if Sayin and Smith are Ohio State's only assets. The Buckeyes also have a loaded backfield led by sopho- more Bo Jackson, and a defense that lost a lot of talent to the NFL but is never short of playmakers. The schedule is very tough. Ohio State has already visited No. 4 Texas, losing 24- 23, and must travel to Iowa, Indiana and USC during the Big Ten season. It gets Oregon and Michigan in the Horseshoe, but that's no guarantee of success, par- ticularly with the Wolverines having won their past two games in Columbus. By the time they get to the College Football Playoff — and it's a when, not an if — the Buckeyes will be battle-tested. 2. Indiana New quarterback Josh Hoover shined in his debut with the defending national champs. Stepping in for departed Heis- man Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the TCU transfer threw for 231 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 16 attempts in a 45- 16 shellacking of North Texas. The Hoosiers did have some trouble getting their rushing attack going, and the Mean Green actually finished with more total yards (367) than their sixth-ranked hosts (365). But it's probably wishful thinking to imagine that Indiana's joyride is coming to an end. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's Curt Cignetti. B I G T E N P R E V I E W NEW WORLD ORDER With the Nittany Lions' 2026 Big Ten campaign about to begin, Matt Campbell prepares to tackle another challenge M A T T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M During his tenure at Iowa State, Campbell faced Iowa annually and went 3-6 against the Hawkeyes, with his wins com- ing in 2022, '24 and '25. He also earned a 34-17 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oregon, which was in the Pac-12 at the time. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL