The pads have been tightened, the chinstraps snapped on helmets and the jerseys placed tightly over the shoulder pads – football is back in Happy Valley as head coach James Franklin and his Nittany Lions look to return to a bowl game for the third straight season.
2016 bodes well for rivalries for a Penn State squad who will have a new quarterback under center this fall. Week 2 sees the Nittany Lions making the two-hour and 43-minute trip to face in-state rival Pittsburgh for the first time since 2000. Penn State follows that trip up with a home game against another in-state foe in Temple, this time in Happy Valley before travelling to Ann Arbor to take on Jim Harbaugh and Michigan in Week 4. The Nittany Lions host arch-rival Ohio State in Week 7 in their first scheduled prime time match-up of the season. Penn State will take on Michigan State for the Land Grant trophy during the last regular season game of their season in Week 13.
The Nittany Lions have nine conference games scheduled against Big Ten foes with five coming in the comforts of Beaver Stadium. Penn State will travel to five games as four of those will be against conference opponents and the lone non-conference road game against Pitt.
Franklin’s squad will play seven games in front on Nittany Lion faithful this fall as the third-year head coach looks to build on the previous two seasons which saw his teams go 7-6 each year.
Let’s take a look at how Penn State shapes up against their opponents:
Kent State Golden Flashes
Record in 2015: 3-9
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 4-0
Match-Up Outlook: The last time Kent State visited Happy Valley was in 2013 when the Nittany Lions were under the direction of head coach Bill O’Brien. O’Brien’s Penn State squad throttled the Golden Flashes, 34-0, in what would be their only shutout of the season.
This year’s match-up will see the debut of a new quarterback, offensive and defensive coordinators, as well as a new offensive line coach. The questions about the offensive line play, defense and quarterback won’t be answered in right away in this game, but the foundations of those answers will be put in place early.
Pittsburgh Panthers
Record in 2015: 8-5
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 50-42-4
Match-Up Outlook: When Penn State and Pitt last took the field against one another Bill Clinton was finishing up his final presidential term. Pitt was victorious in their 2000 meeting, 12-0. Since 2010, the Nittany Lions, while overcoming NCAA sanctions, have 45 wins while the Panthers, who dealt with six coaching changes, have 41 wins.
The renewal of this in-state rivalry will be wonderful for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, college football and its fans, as well as the communities in which the teams play. While neither team will be unleashing their biggest threats or plays, the game should go down as a classic as many games played between the teams has in the past.
Temple Owls
Record in 2015: 10-4
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 39-4-1
Match-Up Outlook: Last season saw the Nittany Lions fall to Temple for the first time since 1941. Temple began last season on a tear after their defeat of Penn State succumbing to only Notre Dame by four points in the first half of the season. The Nittany Lions will surely be looking to avenge last season’s loss to the Owls and overcome an embarrassing defeat.
Penn State has dominated the rivalry over its course of existence, and this season looks to be no different, however, this generation’s Temple Owls are not the Owls of old. These Temple Owls are on the cusp of being able to compete year in and year out on a national level and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Michigan Wolverines
Record in 2015: – 10-3
Head to Head Record: Michigan leads 12-7
Match-Up Outlook: Michigan and Jim Harbaugh have had quite an interesting year date without playing a game. When the games kick off, the Wolverines will welcome Penn State to the Big House for the first time in the Harbaugh era.
As Michigan gets more players to fit the system Harbaugh and company are running, it will be interesting to see how it translates on the field. This looks to be the only hostile environment the Nittany Lions venture to this season, making it interesting to see how they handle playing in front of 100,000-plus fans of the opposite team.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Record in 2015: 6-7
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 8-5
Match-Up Outlook: The last time these two teams hit the field was 2013, which saw Minnesota win by two touchdowns. On that coaching staff was current offensive line coach Matt Limegrover, who directed the offense for the Golden Gophers. Much has changed for both programs since then, however, Limegrover is very familiar with the schemes and techniques of Minnesota which bodes well for Penn State.
Maryland Terrapins
Record in 2015: 3-9
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 36-2-1
Match-Up Outlook: Since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014, both teams have had nail-biting victories against each other. The Terrapins had their nail-biter in 2014 with a 31-30 upset of the Nittany Lions, while Penn State returned the favor with a 21-20 defeat last fall.
Prior to last season, Maryland hadn’t beat the Nittany Lions since 1961 when Rip Engle was coaching the Penn State squad. The Terrapins did not have a lot of success last season, but seem to always play the Nittany Lions hard no matter how good or bad their team is.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Record in 2015: 12-1
Head to Head Record: Ohio State leads 18-13
Match-Up Outlook: Urban Meyer seems to have Penn State’s number since he took over for Jim Tressel in 2012. Since then, the Buckeyes have controlled the rivalry, winning the last four match-ups and outscoring the Nittany Lions 167 to 71 in that span.
The last time Ohio State played in Happy Valley, it was an instant classic. It was a game that took two overtimes to decide the winner with Ohio State eventually defeating Penn State, 31-24. This season’s edition of the Ohio State-Penn State rivalry should be much more competitive than years past, and that factored in with the game being scheduled for prime-time in Beaver Stadium should give the Nittany Lions a necessary boost for the game.
Purdue Boilermakers
Record in 2015: 2-10
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 13-3-1
Match-Up Outlook: Purdue and Penn State on the football field has been a pretty one-sided affair with the Nittany Lions doing most of the winning. Franklin has yet to face the Boilermakers as the head coach of Penn State. However, in 2012 and 2013, the Nittany Lions handled Purdue very well winning 34-9 and 45-21, respectively.
Penn State should fare well against the Boilermakers this season, but playing them following Ohio State could be an eventual trap game for the Nittany Lions especially with the game coming on the road.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Record in 2015: 12-2
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 13-12
Match-Up Outlook: Iowa’s record last season was inflated due to a weak schedule last season, and it showed in them losing their final two games, the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl. Penn State last played Iowa in 2012 winning 38-14.
The Hawkeyes play the Nittany Lions following their bye, which should bode well following their game against Wisconsin. Playing any game that late in the season and being fresh is a huge advantage. Much like the rivalry, this game should be back and forth throughout the contest.
Indiana Hoosiers
Record in 2015: 6-7
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 18-1
Match-Up Outlook: Indiana’s lone win came in Bloomington in 2013, a 44-24 victory. Since then, they have averaged only a touchdown per game in their two games against Penn State. While the Penn State defense is under new leadership, they should have no problems matching up with the Hoosiers.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Record in 2015: 4-8
Head to Head Record: Penn State leads 24-2
Match-Up Outlook: Rutgers and Penn State have squared off in a prime time game each year since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten. The Rutgers program has struggled since joining the Big Ten in 2012, but have improved each season. The last time Franklin and company were in Piscataway, N.J., the Nittany Lions escaped with a 13-10 victory.
Michigan State Spartans
Record in 2015: 12-2
Head to Head Record: Michigan State leads 15-14-1
Match-Up Outlook: The battle for the Land Grant Trophy returns to Happy Valley this fall when Penn State hosts Michigan State. In recent years, the Spartans have been in complete control of the trophy given out each time these two teams play since 1994.
Michigan State has won the last three match-ups between the teams in impressive fashion especially last year with a 55-16 rout in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans will be looking to return to the College Football Playoff for the second straight year after losing to Alabama in the national semi-final. Penn State looks to get back to their winning ways against Michigan State with what should be a competitive match-up between the two squads.
Penn State hits the field for the first time Sept. 3 at noon against the Golden Flashes of Kent State at Beaver Stadium.
