Penn State football's 2026 schedule was released. For the most part, the Nittany Lions have a light slate for head coach Matt Campbell's first season leading the blue and white.
A hot start could mean everything for Matt Campbell with Penn State schedule released
In the regular season, Penn State avoids Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon. Who it doesn't avoid, though, are the Michigan Wolverines. While the Nittany Lions also face USC, Michigan is the season-defining game ahead for them.
Penn State not only has the Wolverines on its schedule, but the game is one of its four on the road in the Big Ten. The others are Northwestern, Washington, and Maryland. Michigan will be the Nittany Lions' biggest test.
FOX Sports' Joel Klatt agrees, and not only for Penn State's season.
Joel Klatt names Penn State at Michigan as one of the Big Ten's top five deciding games
The Big Ten is predicted to be competitive in 2026. The Nittany Lions are part of that. The considerably easy schedule helps in that regard, but it's not a cakewalk every week.
"At first blush, the PSU-UM tilt might not seem major to many," Fox Sports wrote. "However, Klatt thinks this game could tell us not just how serious a contender the Nittany Lions might be this season, but if they might run the table in the regular season."
The Wolverines, as stated by many analysts as well as Klatt, is the toughest game for Penn State. Klatt said there's a chance that the blue and white are undefeated by the time it gets to Michigan, which is Week 7 of the regular season.
Klatt went as far as to say that the Nittany Lions will be "at a minimum" a top 12 team in the country. That might be setting high expectations regardless of what the schedule looks like, but a top 25 team is almost certain by that point in the season for Penn State. Give the Nittany Lions some breathing room there.
"It could put Penn State on a path, if they were to beat USC and Michigan, where we're thinking, ‘Not only is this a playoff team, but is this team going to go to the Big Ten Championship Game and maybe win it?’" Klatt said.