The 2026 college football season is almost here, but it's never too early to look at what the postseason could look like.
For Penn State football and head coach Matt Campbell, it's more than likely they finish with a winning record and a lot of potential for years to come.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach released their 2026-27 postseason predictions, including the non-playoff bowl games. Neither had the blue and white making it into the College Football Playoff, but that is expected given it's Campbell's first season and they have an easier schedule ahead than other teams in the country.
ESPN predicts Penn State plays in the Citrus Bowl vs. an SEC team
A non-playoff bowl game is the bare minimum for Penn State in year one under Campbell. The favorable schedule offers the perfect path to finishing above .500.
Both Bonagura and Schlabach have the Nittany Lions playing in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, Jan. 2 at noon on ABC. Bonagura has them facing Texas A&M and Schlabach as them playing Alabama.
A Big Ten vs. SEC matchup for Penn State is the test Campbell needs. It would also feed into the "Which conference is the most dominant in modern college football" debate, so it would be a fun matchup regardless of what a win could prove for the new head coach.
Not facing Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon means the Nittany Lions are only facing teams that are either on their tier or below. The USC, Michigan, and Washington matchups won't all go Campbell's way, and that's fine. To get a taste of how Campbell coaches against other top teams, he either has to get Penn State into the CFP or play another Top 25 (ideally) team in a non-playoff bowl game. A game vs. the Aggies or Crimson Tide could do the trick depending on how their seasons go.
Texas A&M heads into the season as the No. 8 team in the country and Alabama is ranked No. 13 on the AP Preseason Poll. Even if it's not the Aggies or Crimson Tide, though, the Nittany Lions should get a good test in a non-playoff bowl game. The Trojans, Wolverines, and Huskies only offer so much competition. Going up against the ACC or Big 12 also won't prove much. A win over an SEC team that also didn't make the CFP cut will, though.
Other games that are Big Ten-SEC matchups are the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl and ReliaQuest Bowl. If Iowa State gets a non-playoff bowl game, a Big Ten-Big 12 matchup could be interesting for Penn State as well, but that won't be as beneficial for Campbell as an SEC team would.
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