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other championship hopefuls, Ohio State and Penn State. Michigan State has already torpedoed one Buckeye title bid, pulling off a 34-24 victory in last year's Big Ten Championship Game to deny them a shot at the national title. Penn State won't be a part of any title conversation this year. Unless the NCAA and Big Ten relent in the next month or two, the Nittany Lions won't be eligible for a spot in the league championship game or a bowl. And the eligibility issue may ultimately turn out to be a moot point. Penn State's scholarship roster has been impacted by the sanctions, and the odds of it winning seven or eight league games are steep indeed. But even if the Lions aren't in the run- ning for a trophy, this year's slate poses a number of entertaining matchups that should help tide fans over until the pro- gram is once again able to compete on an elite level. Of the dozen teams Penn State is getting set to face this fall, six played in bowl games last season and three – Ohio State, Michigan State and UCF – were involved in the Bowl Cham- pionship Series. The Lions will play host to both of the participants in last year's league title game, and will face former Eastern rivals Maryland and Rutgers for the first time as Big Ten members. Oh, and they're opening their season in Ire- land, the first international game in the program's history. Here's a closer look at the Nittany Li- ons' upcoming opponents. 2013 RECORD 12-1 (8-0 American Athletic Conference) SERIES RECORD Penn State leads, 2-1 MOST RECENT MEETING Blake Bor- tles completed 20 of 27 passes for 288 yards and the Knights edged PSU, 34-31, in Beaver Stadium on Sept. 14, 2013. OFFENSE With Bortles having opted to forgo his senior year, the Knights' first priority this off-season has been to set- tle on a starting quarterback. Both of the two leading contenders lack experience. Pete DiNovo is a redshirt freshman, and sophomore Justin Holman threw only 14 passes as Bortles' backup last season. The winner of UCF's quarterback duel will benefit from the return of sure- handed junior wideout Breshad Perri- man. The son of former Miami (Fla.) re- ceiver Brett Perriman, he averaged 20.8 yards per catch last season. In the back- field, sophomore William Stanback will take over as starting tailback now that Storm Johnson has reteamed with Bor- tles in the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie class. DEFENSE The Knights have nine starters back from a defense that sur- rendered only 21.3 points per game last season. Inside linebacker Terrance Plummer is the centerpiece after finish- ing with a team-high 110 tackles as a junior. Behind Plummer is an outstand- ing secondary featuring senior strong safety Clayton Geathers (100 tackles) senior free safety Brandon Alexander (63 tackles, three interceptions) and sopho- more cornerback Jacoby Glenn (52 tack- les, two interceptions). OUTLOOK A lot of people have written off UCF now that Bortles and Johnson are gone. That's a mistake. The Knights, who finished last season with a 52-42 victory over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, still have Perriman, one of the country's best wideouts. They've got a stout de- fense. And they've got a head coach in George O'Leary who knows how to scheme around the talent on hand. 2013 RECORD 5-7 (4-4 Mid-American Conference) SERIES RECORD Penn State leads, 4-0 MOST RECENT MEETING The visit- ing Zips didn't gain a first down until the third quarter as Penn State romped to a 31-7 victory in its 2009 season opener. OFFENSE Akron is looking for more consistency after finishing 106th in the country in total offense last season, the team's second year under coach Terry Bowden. Quarterback Kyle Pohl returns, and that's hopeful sign. As a sophomore, Pohl competed 56 percent of his passes for 2,438 yards, with 14 touchdown pass- es and 10 interceptions. Also returning is senior running back Jawon Chisholm, who gained 869 yards a year ago. But the Zips have concerns on the line, where three starters must be replaced. DEFENSE Coordinator Chuck Amato has been in coaching for more than four decades, including 21 years as an assis- tant under Bowden's dad at Florida State. If anybody can help the Zips over- come their personnel losses, which in- clude talented end Albert Presley and both starting cornerbacks, it's Amato. Akron finished third in the MAC in total defense last year and will be counting on first-team All-MAC outside linebacker Jatavis Brown and veteran defensive linemen Nordly Capi and Cody Grice to provide leadership while the rebuilt sec- ondary rounds into form. OUTLOOK After three consecutive 1-11 seasons, the Zips took a major leap for- ward last year. Will their upward trajec- tory continue in 2014? A nonconference victory over Penn State would go a long way toward answering that question. But the most meaningful games will take place in October and November when Akron faces MAC East rivals Bowling Green, Buffalo and Ohio. 2013 RECORD 6-7 (3-5 American Ath- letic Conference) SERIES RECORD Penn State leads, 22-2 W E E K 1 UCF 8 : 3 0 A . M . E T, AU G. 3 0 C R O K E PA R K ( D u b l i n , I r e l a n d ) W E E K 2 AKRON T I M E T BA , S E P T. 6 B E AV E R STA D I U M W E E K 3 RUTGERS 8 P. M . , S E P T. 1 3 H I G H P O I N T S O LU T I O N S STA D I U M

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