Four takeaways on Penn State's 2024 schedule
The Penn State Nittany Lions' 2024 football schedule was released on Thursday afternoon from the Big Ten. The 12-game schedule spans 14 weeks of action with the Nittany Lions receiving two bye weeks. Notably, Penn State will face three of the conference's four new additions in USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington next season.
Here are four takeaways from the Nittany Lions' 2024 schedule.
1. Penn State opens up Big Ten play at home
It's a miracle. Penn State will begin Big Ten play at home for the first time since the 2015 season. James Franklin has made numerous comments over the last several years regarding his ire that the Nittany Lions have consistently opened up Big Ten play on the road throughout his tenure but also for the majority of the program's time in the Big Ten. Next season, that will not be a worry for the Nittany Lions as they open conference play against the Illini.
Notably, the conference opener against Illinois is part of a four-game stretch at home for Penn State in the early part of next season. After their road game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on August 31, the Nittany Lions will face Bowling Green and Kent State in non-conference matchups at Beaver Stadium.
2. A tough five-game stretch starting in October
After opening conference play against Illinois, the Nittany Lions will face a challenging five-game stretch over six weeks. It kicks off with a home game against the UCLA Bruins on October 5. After facing the Bruins, the Nittany Lions will travel to Los Angeles to play the USC Trojans before enjoying their second bye week on October 19.
After their second bye week, the Nittany Lions will hit the road again to clash with the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, then return home for back-to-back matchups against Ohio State and Washington.
Currently, four of those five programs are ranked inside the College Football Playoff's Top 25 including Ohio State and Washington both being within the top 10. It's safe to say that this five-game stretch will make or break Penn State's 2023 season.
3. A well-positioned bye week
We could call this probably "2B" if we wanted to. But to build off that last takeaway on the five-game stretch, the bye week currently scheduled for October 19 is a well-positioned one for Penn State. The Nittany Lions' first four games of the season are manageable and are all games on paper that the program should win to start next season.
Taking on UCLA and USC in back-to-back weeks will be challenging with the Bruins presenting a potential top-notch defense and in their hopes, a well-improved Dante Moore at quarterback. How the team responds to traveling out west for a game one week later will be intriguing, outside of bowl games, it will be the longest trip that Penn State has made under James Franklin that hasn't come during bowl season.
Upon their return from the West Coast, the Nittany Lions will benefit from their second bye week. This break will allow them to recharge and potentially recover from any injuries in preparation for a potentially even more demanding three-game stretch against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Washington. Surviving this five-game gauntlet will be all about maintaining health, persevering, and advancing, especially in light of an expanded College Football Playoff. That bye week could end up paying huge dividends for James Franklin's program when the time comes.
4. Penn State may have the hardest conference schedule in the Big Ten next season
We already knew who Penn State's opponents for next season were going to be coming into Thursday but now that the schedules are made, it's intriguing to see how each program's schedules line up including who has the toughest stretches, the schedules that can be navigated the easiest, and more.
After looking across the rest of the schedules in the Big Ten, Penn State has an argument for the toughest schedule in the Big Ten next season.
Let's look at some of the other top programs in the Big Ten and the toughest portions of their schedules. For those who prefer visuals, please consult the graphic below.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes kick off their season with a formidable three-game stretch, facing Minnesota, Ohio State, and Washington, followed by matchups against Michigan State and Northwestern.
Michigan: The toughest stretch for the Wolverines next fall? Likely their first three-game conference stretch of the season taking on USC, Minnesota, and Washington. They also face Oregon and Ohio State but have Indiana and Northwestern matchups in between, along with a bye week.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes' toughest stretch will likely be a five-week stretch that includes vs Iowa, at Oregon, vs Nebraska, and at Penn State with a bye week splitting the four games.
Oregon: The Ducks got a tough draw in the fact that they don't have a bye week during conference play until the second to last week of the season. That being said, it's an eight-week stretch that is manageable with their toughest opponents being UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Additionally, none of their games against their more challenging opponents are back-to-back.
USC: The Trojans will encounter a quite demanding start to their Big Ten schedule with games at Michigan, vs Wisconsin, at Minnesota, and vs Penn State. They later face Maryland and Rutgers before concluding with a three-game stretch against Washington, Nebraska, and UCLA
Washington: The Huskies could rival Penn State's five-week stretch with games vs USC, at Penn State, vs UCLA, and at Oregon to finish their season.
Wisconsin: The Badgers' toughest stretch is likely a four-game stretch in late October to early November that has Luke Fickell's program facing Penn State, Iowa, Oregon, and Nebraska with a bye week splitting the four games.
Do you agree? Let us know on The Lions Den board or the Penn State Football board!
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