New coach, new QB, and a schedule rife with opportunity. Can Penn State truly contend for the College Football Playoff?
Much of the Penn State roster is getting acclimated to State College this spring.
New head coach Matt Campbell brought 23 players with him from Iowa State after the team went 8-4 last season. One key transfer to keep an eye on is starting quarterback Rocco Becht.
Becht has been limited at practice this spring as he recovers from two shoulder injuries he suffered during the 2025 campaign. He's expected to return to live drills in training camp, but he's a little behind in building chemistry with his receivers.
Penn State could be a bubble contender for the CFP based on a generous schedule this fall. PSU will not play Oregon, Ohio State or Indiana.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports thinks the "best-case scenario" for the Nittany Lions would be to go 11-1 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play in Campbell's first season.
"Matt Campbell will not have to deal with Ohio State, Indiana or Oregon during his first season in Happy Valley, so he needs to make the most of a somewhat favorable slate," Crawford wrote.
"Albeit unlikely, finishing with only one Big Ten loss would mean a 2-1 record against USC, Michigan and Washington for the Nittany Lions."
Michigan might have a down year with new head coach Kyle Whittingham. Lincoln Riley is facing pressure to win at USC. It's unclear what Washington will look like before the season.
It's imperative that Campbell has a successful season so he can sell his vision of the program to high school recruits, something the program struggled to land amid an elongated coaching search in 2025.
Crawford also had a humbling "worst-case scenario" for the Nittany Lions, suggesting the team could go 7-5 overall and 4-5 in conference play because the roster is made up of so many players that went 8-4 at a Big 12 school.
"This two-deep at Penn State is essentially Campbell's best players from an Iowa State team that finished with eight wins last fall, so there could be regression in a more competitive conference," Crawford wrote.
Those are serious challenges for Campbell, but the new head coach should be able to take advantage of a favorable schedule and at least go 9-3, keeping the team in the College Football Playoff conversation for much of the campaign.