Power ranking Penn State’s 2023 schedule from easiest to toughest game
Hopes are high for Penn Stater football in 2023, and it is easy to understand why.
The Nittany Lions are coming off an 11-2 season with a Rose Bowl victory. They possess a dynamic running back duo, a solid defense, arguably the best offensive line of the James Franklin era and a rising star in the making at quarterback. That is a great deal to look forward to this season in Happy Valley.
Penn State also has a fairly favorable schedule that could help lead to a good start and build confidence for some tougher matchups later in the year. A lot could hinge on what happens early in the season, but Penn State’s schedule is not only manageable but one that could pave a path to a possible Big Ten title shot with a spot in the College Football Playoff awaiting.
Here is a look at Penn State’s schedule starting with the easiest opponents on the schedule up to the most difficult games on the schedule this fall for the Nittany Lions.
Week 2: Delaware
2022 record: 8-5 (FCS)
No, that’s not Michigan walking into Beaver Stadium in Week 2. After opening up in prime time at home the previous week, Penn State should be looking at a fairly easy matchup in Week 2 when the Delaware Blue Hens make their first visit to State College. Delaware is typically among the better teams in the Football Championship Subdivision ranks out of the CAA, but don’t expect any major upsets in Happy Valley in Week 2 here.
Week 7: UMass
2022 record: 1-11
Not that it is going to need it, but Penn State will host the UMass Minutemen following a bye week on the schedule. This will be the final tuneup opportunity before heading to Columbus the following week. With a big game against Ohio State the following week and coming off a bye week, expect this game to be heavy on a vanilla offense and running game to simply pick up the win and move on without taking too many unnecessary gambles. This should be Penn State’s easiest non-conference matchup among Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
Week 5: at Northwestern
2022 record: 1-11
While Penn State is taking on an easy opponent out of the bye week, the Nittany Lions could be entering their bye week coming off potentially their easiest Big Ten matchup. Penn State visits Northwestern at the end of September. The Wildcats are coming off a 1-11 season and entering the 2023 season with an interim head coach following the firing of Pat Fitzgerald. Penn State should have little problem getting out of Evanston with a solid victory.
Week 9: Indiana
2022 record: 4-8
No matter what happens the previous week in Columbus, Penn State gets a potentially favorable matchup at home against Indiana in late October. Penn State has traditionally dominated the series with the Hoosiers, and Indiana took another step back in 2022 from its dream 2020 season, which of course started with a wild victory over the Nittany Lions. Penn State should head into November with a solid record boosted by a home win over Indiana.
Week 12: Rutgers
2022 record: 4-8
Rutgers still has a long way to go in order to be consistently competitive in the Big Ten, but the timing of this game on the schedule is always a concern. Penn State’s late regular-season matchups with Rutgers the past few years have seen Penn State battling fatigue and injuries that have led to less-than-impressive victories over the Scarlet Knights. This mid-November game could fall into the same trap, especially a week after a massive home game against Michigan. Regardless, this is another favorable matchup favoring Penn State on paper.
Week 1: West Virginia
2022 record: 5-7
Penn State’s first game of the season will renew an old regional rivalry with West Virginia, and it will happen under the lights for a prime-time audience on new Big Ten media partner NBC. It’s going to be fun seeing these two teams go head-to-head since Penn State’s last year as a football indepdnedn3t before joining the Big Ten. West Virginia had a tough year last season and was the Big 12 media’s pick to finish last in the Big 12 this season. But the regional aspect of this could provide some energy to make this a fun battle.
Week 4: Iowa
2022 record: 8-5
Penn State’s defense should have little problem handling that Iowa offense, but there is always something a little tricky facing the Hawkeyes defense. Iowa’s defense loves picking off passes and that could be a concern for first-year starting quarterback Drew Allar. But this will be a home game and will once again be played under the lights, on CBS. The crowd should be an absolute factor against one of the top programs in the Big Ten West this fall.
Week 13: at Michigan State (Detroit, Michigan)
2022 record: 5-7
The Land-Grant Trophy will be making a trip to Ford Field in Detroit for a Friday night regular-season finale against Michigan State. Another night game on NBC to close the regular season could have much at stakes for Penn State, whether in the Big Ten title picture or a possible spot in the College Football Playoff. The Spartans are coming off a rough season but should not be taken lightly. This could be an important game for them as well, and trips into Michigan are rarely easy for Penn State. But not having to play in a true road game could be a benefit for Penn State.
Week 3: at Illinois
2022 record: 8-5
Looking for one of Penn State’s biggest opportunities to be tripped up? Look no further than Week 3 at Illinois. The Illini are coming off a surprising season in which they were in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten West until the final stretch of the regular season, and this defense returns a ton of experience and talent. This is a very dangerous early road trip for Penn State. Getting a win in Champaign will not come easily for the Nittany Lions.
Week 10: at Maryland
2022 record: 8-5
Another potentially tricky road game comes later in the year in November when Penn State heads to Maryland. The week before a massive home game against Michigan, Penn State will be tested by a Terrapins team that felt embarrassed in last year’s matchup, and Taulia Tagovailoa is too good to let that happen two times in a row, especially on his home field. Penn State will be in for a real battle against one of the Big Ten’s biggest wild card factors.
Week 11: Michigan
2022 record: 13-1
The biggest home game of the season is an easy one to pick out. Anytime Michigan comes to Happy Valley is cause for a national spotlight (as will be the case this season with the Fox Big Noon Kickoff). This is especially true when the Wolverines are the two-time Big Ten champions coming off two consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff. And there is a great opportunity for this game to carry the fate of the Big Ten East on it as Michigan could very well be undefeated. Penn State could too, if…
Week 8: at Ohio State
2022 record: 11-2
If everything goes Penn State’s way in the month of September, there is an excellent chance the Nittany Lions are in a battle of unbeatens in Ohio Stadium in the third weekend of October. Penn State has not fared well against Ohio State over the years, especially in Columbus. That makes this arguably the toughest game on Penn State’s schedule as it will come in one of the toughest road environments in the Big Ten.
