Penn State Disrespected in Latest College Football Playoff Prediction

If one thing is for certain, and I think even Iowa State fans would agree, it's that comparing Penn State's football program to Iowa State's is just unfair. 

Penn State is much better on all levels when it comes to football, and we can say the same for basketball, but in opposite ways. At the end of the day, Penn State is among the elite in the college football world, and Iowa State is among the elite in the college basketball world.

However, that hasn't stopped some from suggesting that Campbell's time in Ames, Iowa, will be similar to what we see in State College.

I couldn't disagree more with that, though I don't think it's crazy to say that anything is possible in this era of college football. However, one writer recently suggested that Penn State won't make the College Football Playoff, and as of now, it's just a Hail Mary away from doing so.

“Matt Campbell couldn’t have gotten a kinder welcome into the Big Ten,” Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today wrote. “If USC drew the Big Ten’s schedule of doom, then Penn State got the boon. No Ohio State on Penn State’s schedule. No Indiana or Oregon, either. The nonconference schedule is a cupcake feast. This collection of opponents is built for playoff contention. Campbell used the en vogue move of a first-year coach bringing in a cavalcade of players from his previous job. His first team might as well be called the CyLions, because it’s loaded with former Iowa State Cyclones, including veteran quarterback Rocco Becht.

“That all sounds pretty ideal, until you consider: The Cyclones went 8-4 last year. Solid, especially on defense, but not national championship-level good. They’re a Hail Mary for glory.”

With how easy Penn State's schedule is, there's certainly some hope that this program will end up in the College Football Playoff. However, I don't know if that's overly realistic, given that it's Campbell's first season. 

At the same time, Penn State has spent a lot of money on its roster, so not making the CFP might be viewed as a major disappointment.