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Penn State football: Nittany Lions have a path to 10 wins

By Christopher Mangum

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 20: Arnold Ebiketie #17 of the Penn State Nittany fights for position with Raiqwon O'Neal #71 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at Beaver Stadium on November 20, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 20: Arnold Ebiketie #17 of the Penn State Nittany fights for position with Raiqwon O'Neal #71 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at Beaver Stadium on November 20, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 01: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs for a first down against Grant Morgan #31 of the Arkansas Razorbacks in the third quarter of the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 01: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs for a first down against Grant Morgan #31 of the Arkansas Razorbacks in the third quarter of the 2022 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Penn State could get a 10th win from a bowl

The second route to a 10-win season would be to use the bowl game as the 10th win, a more likely scenario in my mind.

As of right now, I have Penn State finishing the season 9-3 in any formal prediction I have made. Again, the two games I consider losses right off the bat are at Michigan and vs. Ohio State–a 9-3 forecast gives the Nittany Lions some slack in case they drop a game to Purdue, Auburn, Michigan State, or a team that no one sees coming.

Looking at the schedule right now, I would say the first loss would come at Auburn. No one is quite sure what to expect from the Tigers, but playing in the Alabama heat in week three will be no fun. Could I see Penn State win? Yes, I believe there is a good chance it happens, but I have to give the loss to someone, and Auburn is a tough enough test.

So saying Penn State football finishes 9-3 in the coming year–that record is good enough to end the season ranked (especially if the last loss of the season was in October against Ohio State) and make an appearance in a respectable bowl.

Penn State football could reach 10 wins with a win in the Citrus Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl (previously named the Outback Bowl), or another second tier two bowl game. Sure, it isn’t an NY6 game or a playoff appearance, but winning a bowl game for the first time since 2019 to end the year 10-3 and ranked would be a great feeling for the fans.

In fact, it would be a fantastic way to get back to being nationally competitive in 2023 and 2024 with James Franklin’s new recruiting classes. In 2022, as with any college football season, Penn State football will have its ups and downs. Is a nine-win season anything to complain about? Not after last year, but the fans will expect more moving forward. Ideally, a realistic expectation would be 9-10 wins in 2022–at least how I see it.

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