One look at Penn State’s 2022 schedule will show there are some big matchups on the way for the Nittany Lions, and a handful of games could ultimately have a hand in determining the College Football Playoff picture. Even if Penn State doesn’t make its own playoff case this season, the Nittany Lions are considered a team that could cause some disturbances in the playoff force this fall.
247Sports singled out a few schools that could disrupt the 2022 playoff race, and it was sure to include Penn State. On the surface, it makes sense why Penn State would be considered an agent of playoff chaos this fall. Penn State is a team being regarded as one with good talent on the roster on both sides of the football, but questions remain if everything can fall into place to score some big wins along the way to redeeming the program’s image after a pair of mediocre seasons.
The schedule is also full of games that could have some playoff weight behind them. Most notably, home games against Ohio State and Michigan State and a road game at defending Big Ten champion Michigan should all be circled on the calendar.
Here is what 247Sports had to say about Penn State’s role in the potential playoff picture;
The Nittany Lions could be a thorn in the side of playoff-ready titans Michigan and Ohio State, which possibly may keep the Big Ten out of the final four this season should chaos ensue. It’s hard to imagine a 12-1 conference champion being left out given the top to bottom strength of teams within the league, but James Franklin’s crew is being undervalued a bit this summer it seems. And when you look at the schedule, Penn State will certainly have a say in the playoff race and who comes out of the Big Ten potentially unblemished. The early non-conference tilt at Auburn could be a confidence-builder for this group.
After signing the nation’s eighth-best recruiting class for 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite, a group led by five-stars [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] (QB), [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] (RB) and [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (DE), the Nittany Lions welcome an immediate-impact type group to Happy Valley. And given what Penn State returns on defense, this could be one of the more complete teams in the Big Ten despite being one of the lesser talked-about programs this summer in terms of preseason love with most prognostications penning the Nittany Lions outside of the top 25. That should be motivational material for a locker room of players itching to get back to national respectability.
Of course, Penn State’s goal will be to make its own playoff case instead of take pride in spoiling someone else’s chances of playing for a national championship. Penn State has yet to make the College Football Playoff. Going 3-0 against Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State would certainly be helpful in cracking a way into the playoff picture, as would road wins at Purdue and Auburn before that.
Other teams viewed as potential disruptions to the playoff picture included Miami, USC, Texas, and Tennessee.
[mm-video type=video id=01g4xa5jnwas78cg77w7 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g4xa5jnwas78cg77w7/01g4xa5jnwas78cg77w7-6f2d3b33f708f61337a142c78ac97dd4.jpg]
[listicle id=20395]
[lawrence-related id=20649,20652,20630,20626,20624,20606]
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.