A full, 12-game schedule awaits Penn State in 2021, and, with college football season fast approaching, it's never a bad time to start breaking it down.

Below, BWI ranks all 12 games by difficulty, starting with the least difficult, and finishing with the biggest challenge on the Nittany Lions schedule this season.

Let's get into it.

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ESPN Preseason FPI: N/A

If this game were being played on the hardwood, the Wildcats would likely find themselves on the opposite end of this list, but it's difficult to see FCS Villanova posing much of a threat to the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Villanova has just one winning season in its last four, and posted a 2-2 mark last year in a campaign abbreviated by the pandemic. Penn State has played only one FCS opponent so far in James Franklin's tenure, a 79-7 obliteration of Idaho in 2019.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 87

The Fighting Illini once again find themselves starting from scratch, with Bret Bielema arriving in Champaign to replace Lovie Smith, who finished 2-6 last season. That included a 56-21 dismantling at the hands of the Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in the season finale. Penn State saw only a brief glimpse of Brandon Peters, who figures to be the starter for the Illini this season, in that game. Regardless, the Nittany Lions should win fairly comfortably here once again over a team that is likely to struggle.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 79

The Scarlet Knights were much improved last season under Greg Schiano, finishing 3-6 in an all-conference schedule. That came on the heels of two straight 0-9 performances in the Big Ten, and the three wins are tied for the most Big Ten wins Rutgers has secured since joining the conference in 2014. Still, it was clear that even the worst Penn State team in years had a level of athlete at its disposal that Rutgers could not compete with. This should be another comfortable home victory for the Nittany Lions.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 56

Mel Tucker's first season on the job in East Lansing was a mess. Michigan State went 2-5, turning the ball over an astonishing 2.9 times per game in the process. The Spartans did pick up a pair of decent wins, besting in-state rival Michigan as well as Big Ten West champs Northwestern. If Michigan State can solve some of its turnover woes in year two under Tucker, they could prove dangerous. This game goes ahead of Rutgers only because it's on the road.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 45

This game certainly looks far more difficult than it did when it was scheduled, with Ball State coming off a MAC Championship and a dominant bowl game win over a ranked San Jose State team. Assuming the Cardinals can take care of FCS Western Illinois in their opener, they'll carry an eight-game winning streak into Beaver Stadium. Playing in that kind of environment after a season of no fans will be a challenge for the Cardinals, but they return 10 starters on each side of the ball, and are more than capable of springing a surprise on the Nittany Lions should they be overlooked.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 55

A 35-19 home defeat to Maryland was among the true low points of a disappointing season for the Nittany Lions in 2020. Now they have to go on the road looking to avoid two consecutive losses to their neighbors to the south. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is expected to be back healthy for the fall, with a bevy of talented wide receivers to build a rapport with. Maryland's defense returns nine of its starters from a season ago as well, making this game look more difficult on the schedule than it might in seasons prior.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 40

The Wolverines ultimately bested the Nittany Lions in the battle to see which Big Ten East school could underperform most drastically last season, finishing 2-4 and falling to Penn State in Ann Arbor. Michigan was among the most inexperienced teams in the entire country last season, and it certainly showed. Many of those players come back a year older and a year wiser, but Penn State gets to play this game in Happy Valley, where the Nittany Lions have beaten the Wolverines twice in a row and in three of the last four.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 25

Tom Allen's remarkable job with this Indiana program reached a new peak last season, with a 6-2 record that included victories over Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State, and a narrow loss to eventual conference champion Ohio State. They return Michael Penix, who should be one of the conference's best quarterbacks if he stays healthy. A trip to Beaver Stadium will be difficult, but the Hoosiers certainly pose a threat.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 16

The first true test of Bryan Harsin's tenure at Auburn will be a trip to Beaver Stadium for what could very well turn out to be Penn State's annual White Out game. The Tigers had a poor season by their standards in 2020, finishing 6-5 and taking a thumping from Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl. Still, they'll bring plenty of talent to Happy Valley when they arrive for a heavyweight nonconference clash.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 23

The Hawkeyes find themselves on Penn State's schedule for the sixth season in a row, after blasting the Nittany Lions 42-21 in State College in 2020. This time James Franklin and his team will walk into what is likely to be a raucous Kinnick Stadium environment. The Hawkeyes were among the youngest teams in the conference last season and finished their season on a six-game winning streak. They return seven starters on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Spencer Petras.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 15

A trip to Camp Randall is never easy, and the circumstances will make this one more difficult for the Nittany Lions, who will be playing their first game in front of a crowd in nearly two years on the road in a hostile environment. Graham Mertz showed some promise in his first season as a starter as a redshirt freshman and will be looking to progress more now. Penn State has won its last three matchups with the Badgers, but this one seems especially difficult on paper.

ESPN Preseason FPI: 5

One of the most obvious spots on this list belongs to the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 1. Ohio State has won each of the last four Big Ten titles, and finished as the national runner-up following a loss to Alabama in the title game after the Buckeyes upset Clemson in the semifinal. Ryan Day must sort out a replacement for Justin Fields, but, even so, Ohio State will still have by far the most talent on its roster of any team the Nittany Lions encounter all season, and it doesn't help that this game will take place in Columbus, either.

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