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Penn State won’t have any time to make some adjustments in non-conference play before jumping into Big Ten play this season. For the second year in a row, Penn State will open a college football season on the road against a Big Ten opponent. After opening on the road against Indiana in 2020, Penn State is heading to Wisconsin for a big crossover matchup in Week 1 of the 2021 college football season.
During Big Ten media day, Penn State head coach James Franklin was asked about how his program may or may not prepare for the start of the season given the schedule. Rather than opening against a mid-major program at home, how does Penn State prepare to go up against the preseason Big Ten West favorite on the road?
“I don’t know if our approach necessarily changes because the reality is you better me maximizing every single year, training camp, the offseason to give yourself the best chance,” Franklin said during an interview with the Big Ten Network.
“Obviously whether its the NFL and you have preseason or whether its college football and you have some out-of-conference matchups to learn and grow from,” Franklin explained. “This is different. The biggest approach, I would say, is the countdown clock in the facility that’s had that ‘W’ on it, ticking down,” Franklin said, referring to Wisconsin’s logo being shown off in Penn State’s football facility to set the mindset on the first opponent of the season.
“Our entire organization and our players understand the type of opponent and the type of venue we’re going into in Week 1,” Franklin concluded.
Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin@RIP_JEP asks @coachjfranklin how approach changes when you open season on the road, against a team like the Badgers.
Full @PennStateFball interviews ➡️ https://t.co/doQdSid55Q pic.twitter.com/mMVz5ljw4z
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) July 22, 2021
Penn State will face Wisconsin in Madison on Sept. 4, 2021. The game is scheduled for a 12 pm ET kickoff on FOX.
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