Where every Penn State opponent ranks on the AP Top 25 preseason poll
It seems like Penn State sits as a consensus top-10 team in the country coming into the 2023 season.
The AP Top 25 poll was released with the Nittany Lions coming in at number seven. That comes on the heels of Penn State also being ranked seventh in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding the team throughout the spring and summer coming off of their Rose Bowl victory. Drew Allar is expected to be the new starting quarterback after Sean Clifford’s graduation to usher in a new era.
The biggest question college football fans have about Penn State is if they can finally beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season. Those are the headliner games on the schedule that will ultimately make or break their CFP hopes.
The rest of the schedule lines up nicely for them. Here’s where the rest of Penn State’s opponents rank in the AP Top 25 poll headed into the 2023 season.
West Virginia: Not Ranked
Game Date: Sept. 2
The first game of the new year is against an old rival who had a losing season in 2022. They’ll host West Virginia at home in primetime on NBC’s new Big Ten package.
With the Mountaineers looking to play spoiler, here is an early scouting report coming into the season opener.
Delaware: Not Ranked
Game Date: Sept. 9
Since Delaware plays at the FCS level, they’re not eligible to be ranked by the AP Poll. They’re coming off a solid season in 2022 where they made it to the second round of the playoffs. Despite the game being against a lower level school, it could be a fun matchup to see how the young Penn State players perform.
Illinois: Not Ranked
Game Date: Sept. 16
Big Ten conference begins the third week of the season when they go to Illinois to face a team off a strong season in 2022. They finished 8-5 and made it to the ReliaQuest Bowl where they ultimately lost to Mississippi State.
They come into the season unranked in the AP Poll after losing multiple pieces from last year’s team, but received three votes to be ranked in the top 25. The game will be broadcasted on Fox at Noon ET.
Iowa: No. 25
Game Date: Sept. 23
The first difference pertaining to Penn State’s schedule between the AP Poll and USA TODAY Coaches Poll is that Iowa is ranked 25th in the AP Poll after not being ranked by the coaches.
Iowa will have their defense ready for this game like they always do, but the discourse around the program is if their offense will be much improved from the last few seasons. This game will be the White Out Game at Beaver Stadium and broadcasted on CBS at 7:30 pm ET.
Northwestern: Not Ranked
Game Date: Sept. 30
Penn State hits the road after the White Out Game to take on Northwestern who had a controversial offseason. It will be the first time in 17 years that Pat Fitzgerald will not be on the sidelines as the Northwestern coach after they dismissed him amidst a hazing scandal.
The Wildcats will go into the season with an interim coach with lawsuits swirling around the program.
UMass: Not Ranked
Game Date: Oct. 14
Penn State will host UMass for the homecoming game. This will most likely be the easiest game on the schedule this season, especially since this is after their bye week. UMass has had major struggles in their football program, winning a total of three games since 2019.
Ohio State: No. 3
Game Date: Oct. 21
After making it to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last year, Ohio State returns a lot on both sides of the ball. They are ranked third in the AP Poll, receiving one first place vote, compared to fourth in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
This will be a major test for the Nittany Lions. They have not beaten Ohio State in six games and haven’t won in Columbus since 2011. Could this be the team that breaks these streaks?
Indiana: Not Ranked
Game Date: Oct. 28
Penn State returns home after their battle with Ohio State to take on Indiana, whose head coach, Tom Allen, could be on the hot seat with another disappointing season. The last two years they’ve won a combined six games after posting a winning record four seasons ago.
With many of the players transferring out during the offseason another bad year could be on the horizon for Indiana football.
Maryland: Not Ranked
Game Date: Nov. 4
Penn State heads to Maryland to play the Terrapins on the road this season who returns a ton of experience. They had no top 25 votes in the AP Poll besides the coaches giving them some credit in the USA TODAY poll.
This could be a tricky game going on the road to face a team that will be hungry to pull a major upset. The program’s all-time leading passer, Taulia Tagovailoa, is back for another season and could give them trouble as they stare down a matchup with their next opponent.
Michigan: No. 2
Game Date: Nov. 11
Michigan returns a lot of players from last year’s team and is the highest preseason ranked team on the schedule this season. After making it to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and repeating as Big Ten champions, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Penn State has not beaten Michigan in two seasons, but will host them for what will be one of the biggest showdowns of the year. The Nittany Lions have revenge on their mind as they were embarrassed during last season’s game when they torched on the ground.
Rutgers: Not Ranked
Game Date: Nov. 18
Coming off their battle with Michigan, Penn State will host Rutgers the following week who will have upset on their mind. It’s the fourth year in the second stint of Greg Schiano at Rutgers and he’ll be looking to make a major statement.
Schiano always has his team ready to play hard so Penn State will have to be ready to play coming out of their rivalry game the previous week, no matter what the results were.
Michigan State: Not Ranked
Game Date: Nov. 24
The finale has Penn State playing Michigan State in Detroit on Friday night to compete for the Land Grant Trophy. They’ll be playing in Ford Field, where the Detroit Lions play their home games.
Michigan State is coming out of a down year going 5-7 in 2022 after going 11-2 in the 2021 season. Last year’s starter quarterback transferred out late so there’s some questions about who their starting quarterback will be this season. Unlike games in the past that have been affected negatively by weather, this field is in a dome and should favor Penn State’s style of play.
