Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell comes into his first season leading the Nittany Lions with somewhat of a light schedule, giving Nittany Lions some hope as to what their first run in this new era can be.
Michigan just made things tougher for Penn State with latest game day update
Setting expectations hasn't worked out in their favor in the past, though. Even while treading lightly, CBS Sports' Cody Nagel brought Penn State back down to earth.
CBS Sports' Cody Nagel predicts an average, 7-5 record for the Nittany Lions in 2026
Nagel made one bold prediction for each way-too-early top 25 team as projected by CBS. The Nittany Lions are 22nd on this list, and he doesn't expect a miracle season for them either.
"Penn State messed around and actually landed on a great hire in Matt Campbell, but expectations may be too high for 2026 despite a schedule that is more than gettable," Nagel wrote. "Although Campbell is bringing 23 Iowa State transfers with him, the roster turnover is still real and adjusting to the Big Ten could take some time."
As a reminder, Penn State faces Marshall at home, Temple on the road, and Buffalo at home in its opening non-conference slate to the season. After that, it plays Wisconsin (home), Northwestern (away), USC (home), and Michigan (away) before the bye week in Week 8. The Nittany Lions wrap up the season facing Purdue (home), Washington (away), Minnesota (home), Rutgers (home), and Maryland (away).
The Big Ten schedule could absolutely be worse for the blue and white. Campbell could have gotten any combination of Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, and Iowa. Instead, Michigan, USC, and Washington are posed as the initial biggest threats to the Nittany Lions.
That doesn't mean Penn State's sliding by in 2026.
As Nagel stated, there's an adjustment that needs to happen. Even if Campbell and his staff are prepared for the Big Ten, that doesn't mean the crew of Iowa Staters will be settled in by Week 4. The Badgers are a good starting point followed by the Wildcats, win or lose. The Trojans and Wolverines back-to-back, however, can turn into an issue very quickly.