Ranking Penn State’s 2022 schedule from Ohio to Ohio State
Penn State faces a somewhat challenging 2022 season that will see the Nittany Lions open the year in primetime at Purdue, visit an SEC stadium in Auburn, and make a trip to the home stadium of the defending Big Ten champion Michigan Wolverines that has rarely been kind to them over the years. Oh yeah, and Penn State also has to play Ohio State.
So now that we know what the schedule looks like from start to finish, what are the toughest games on the schedule? How does the way the schedule is mapped out help determine just how difficult a particular matchup could potentially be for the Nittany Lions, who are looking to bounce back after a couple of seasons of .500 football?
This is a ranking of Penn State’s schedule starting with what should be the easiest matchup and working all the way up to the most difficult challenge for Penn State in 2022. A number of factors were taken into consideration in ranking these games including the strength of the opponent as a majority factor. But stadium environments and the flow of the season also is used to formulate this ranking. Is the bye week at a good spot for Penn State? Is a trip to the sEC still a bigger challenge than a visit to Ann Arbor even if Michigan should be a better team than Auburn?
Find out below how the schedule ranks in terms of difficulty level.
Week 2: vs. Ohio
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Penn State’s home opener comes in Week 2 against the Ohio Bobcats. Ohio really struggled last season and could be in for another long season in 2022. Penn State gets the benefit of having a couple of extra days to prepare for it after opening the season the previous week on a Thursday night.
Week 12: at Rutgers
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
The thing about Rutgers is Penn State stands very little chance of losing to the Scarlet Knights. Penn State has the better overall roster and the Nittany Lion defense has handled Rutgers well in their Big Ten clashes since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten. That shouldn’t be a concern this season. But the game coming so late in the season has led to Penn State’s offense being banged up and playing a number of players they would ideally not want to be playing the last couple of seasons. That has led to some games that lack much sizzle from the Penn State offense where the game is never really in doubt but keeps you waiting for a knockout blow.
Week 4: vs. Central Michigan
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State plays its second MAC opponent of the season in Week 4, a week after visiting Auburn. This is a good recipe for a letdown performance regardless of the result the previous week because Central Michigan is a fairly decent program going into the 2022 season. Not good enough to score a major upset of Penn State, in all likelihood, but good enough to force Penn State to have to make some plays in the second half.
Week 5: vs. Northwestern
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Northwestern is always a team capable of putting up a decent fight. They may not have the offensive firepower to hang enough points in a road game in Beaver Stadium to get a win, but Penn State always has to be prepared to face a gritty Northwestern effort led by head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern had a miserable 2021 season but could be a team to watch in 2022 in the Big Ten west.
Week 10: at Indiana
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If this game isn’t marked on Penn State’s calendar, it should be. Penn State returns to the scene of the crime that opened the 2020 season in a controversial fashion. But what makes this game tricky is the timing. A road game to Bloomington a week after playing Ohio State is a potentially dangerous trap situation for Penn State.
Week 11: vs. Maryland
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Maryland left Beaver Stadium with a convincing win the last time they visited in 2020, and Taulia Tagovailoa and the Terps could be a team capable of scoring another upset this season. Penn State has historically dominated Maryland, but this year’s game could be a dangerous one if Penn State is banged up toward the end of the season.
Week 8: vs. Minnesota
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A potential battle of the Big Ten’s elder statesman quarterbacks with Sean Clifford vs Tanner Morgan. This could be the biggest trap spot for Penn State on the 2022 schedule as it comes at home a week after visiting Michigan and a week before hosting Ohio State. Minnesota is not to be overlooked here.
Week 13: vs. Michigan State
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State got the better of Penn State in snowy East Lansing last season, capping off a great season for the Spartans that took many by surprise. But will they have the same level of success again this season? We’ll soon find out, but at least Penn State gets the home-field advantage in this year’s regular-season finale. Still, this is one of the most challenging games to be played at home in 2022. Only one other home game will be more of a hurdle.
Week 1: at Purdue
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State draws a tricky opening on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue scored two massive upsets of Iowa and Michigan State last season and Jeff Brohm’s program is always a dangerous threat when playing at home. Just ask Ohio State! This is the third consecutive season Penn State opens the new season on the road against a Big Ten opponent, and it is a tough place to start the year on the right foot. This is going to be a challenge on all fronts.
Week 7: at Michigan
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Penn State doesn’t exactly pack a great history in games played in the Big House, although they did leave with a win after their most recent visit in 2020. Michigan should once again be a top Big Ten contender this season, although there are some questions on whether or not they can be as tough as they were last season. Expect a good contest between these two programs in the middle of October. Penn State does get a bye week to prepare for this game, while the Wolverines will have played at Indiana the previous week.
Week 3: at Auburn
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
After coming out on top in the first game of this terrific home-and-home series last season, Penn State goes for the sweep of Auburn this September. This is Penn State’s first trip to Auburn and it should be a wild scene down in SEC country. Penn State may have the better roster going into the season, but a trip down south is rarely easy. This may be just slightly more difficult than a trip to Michigan if only for the environment Penn State is venturing into. Auburn is going to be amped up for this one.
Week 9: vs. Ohio State
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State’s biggest measuring stick in the Big Ten remains Ohio State. The Buckeyes may have come up short of a Big Ten title in 2021, but Ohio State is reloaded and ready to be the team to beat once again in 2022. Ohio State has dominated Penn State over the years and Penn State has had some emotionally crushing moments against the Buckeyes in previous years. But they do seem to play better at home, and this will be the first game with fans in Beaver Stadium for an Ohio State game since 2018 (the 2020 home game was played in front of an empty Beaver Stadium due to COVID protocols in the Big Ten). They’ll be fired up, but the Buckeyes will remain the best team on Penn State’s schedule to make this the most challenging matchup of the 2022 schedule.
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