Penn State football’s top 5 games on the 2023 schedule
After finishing the 2022 season with a victory in the Rose Bowl, the expectations have been raised for Penn State in 2023. And the hype is already building in the way-too-early rankings as Penn State looks to follow up an 11-2 record with a push for a Big Ten championship in 2023.
And if things go well, Penn State could enter a much larger conversation as the season rolls along. The schedule is not short on potential hurdles that could knock things off course, and there are some really good games to look forward to as a result. From the revival of a long-time rivalry to two decent crossover matchups with the Big Ten West and the annual division showdowns against Ohio State and Michigan, the Penn State schedule has some challenges incoming in the fall.
Here is a look at the top five games on Penn State’s schedule in 2023.
September 2 vs. West Virginia
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Penn State and West Virginia have not faced each other since Penn State’s last season as a football independent in 1992, so this has been a long time coming. Penn State hosts West Virginia in the first half of a home-and-home scheduling agreement that will continue in Morgantown in 2024.
September 16 at Illinois
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The last time Penn State played Illinois was certainly a forgettable experience for the Nittany Lions with a dreadful overtime marathon in Beaver Stadium in 2021. The Illini are coming off a solid 2022 season that lost steam en route to a potential division title. Still, playing on the road at Illinois could be a trickier game than most will assume for Penn State.
September 23 vs. Iowa
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After opening Big Ten play on the road against Illinois, much to the chagrin of head coach James Franklin perhaps, the Nittany Lions return home to Beaver Stadium for what should be another defensive battle with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa had no offense to speak of in 2022 (in fact, the less we discuss it here, the better) but the defense was as good as they come. That should be the case again in 2023.
October 21 at Ohio State
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Simp[ly put, Ohio State has owned Penn State during the entire James Franklin tenure, and the Buckeyes’ dominance over the Nittnay Lions has been a recurring theme since the turn of the century. So it should go without saying that Penn State’s road trip to Columbus is a major test for Penn State. There is a chance this could be a matchup of undefeated teams, which should carry some significant weight in the Big Ten picture, and potentially the College Football Playoff hunt, moving forward.
If Penn State can grab a win against Ohio State, it really could make or break Penn State’s biggest goals for 2023.
November 11 vs. Michigan
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The two-time defending Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines make their way to Happy Valley in mid-November, and there could be some major implications riding on the result if things go according to plan for both schools next fall. even if Penn State comes up short earlier in the season against Ohio State, Penn State could still be in the thick of the Big Ten title hunt when this game comes around. And a win at home against the Wolverines could turn the Big Ten championship hunt for a curve.
Michigan has handled Penn State the last couple of seasons with late-game heroics two years ago and pure domination from start to finish last season in Ann Arbor. Penn State will be up against a stiff test once again in this monster game with the season beginning to wind down.
A split against Ohio State and Michigan would be huge. A sweep, well, that would be something else.
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