How Penn State's Second-Half Schedule Sets up for a Playoff Run

The unbeaten Nittany Lions turn toward a finish that includes three Big Ten road games and a visit from Ohio State.

Penn State coach James Franklin hugs quarterback Drew Allar after the Nittany Lions' victory at USC in a Big Ten football game. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

At 6-0, Penn State football finds itself squarely in the playoff conversation and ranked No. 3 in the nation. Whether the Nittany Lions are actually the third-best team in the nation might be up for debate. But what isn’t debatable is that Penn State is well on its way toward another double-digit win season and even possibly a home game in the College Football Playoff.

Coming off an emotional victory against USC in overtime, the Nittany Lions left California having established that they aren’t going to slide down the Big Ten's new hierarchy just yet, moving one game closer to three victories against some of the conference's newest faces. (Penn State won’t reintroduce itself to Oregon until 2025.)

But even with one big test passed, that doesn't mean the remaining schedule contains no challenges beyond the obvious clash against Ohio State on Nov. 2 at Beaver Stadium. So at the midway point, here’s a reset on Penn State’s upcoming schedule and what pitfalls might await.

@Wisconsin (Oct. 26): An evening kick in Madison might be what Penn State gets for missing out on a night clash in Morgantown earlier in the year. While this game will involve more references to cheese and plenty of midwestern beer, the Badgers have turned out to be more formidable than expected following the loss of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke several weeks ago against Alabama.

Following a loss to USC on the road, the Badgers have bounced back to beat Purdue and Rutgers by a combined score of 94-13. Penn State proves to be a stiffer test than those two teams, but the Nittany Lions have struggled coming out of the off week before, and Madison is one of those places where wins never come easy. Penn State should win, but Jump Around will be plenty energized.

RELATED: The Penn State first-half report card

Ohio State (Nov. 2): The Buckeyes boast one of the most talented, and most expensive, rosters in the nation. Quarterback Will Howard might not have the legs of his Buckeye predecessors, but even after a road loss to Oregon, there’s no questioning Ohio State’s credentials. Until Penn State actually wins one of these games again, you can’t pick the Nittany Lions to do so. That said, there's no reason to think this game won’t be as competitive as ever. Especially if Penn State can move the ball like it has the first six weeks and the defense is up to the task early.

Washington (Nov. 9): The Huskies beat Michigan to get their title-game revenge only to turn around and get trampled by the suddenly competent Iowa offense. Washington is a shell of its former self and will have to travel across the country for this one. Don’t be surprised if the Huskies put up a fight, but Penn State either comes into this game looking to get back on track or looking to ride an emotional win. Pick the more talented, more rested and more put-together team in a game like this, and that’s Penn State.

@Purdue (Nov. 16): The Boilermakers will give everyone a sense of where they’re at this weekend against Oregon, but with just a win on their resume so far, that answer isn’t exactly a secret. Purdue is probably better than its record, and a 50-49 loss to Illinois this past weekend is a good example of that. Nevertheless, even if coach Ryan Walters has the right recipe to grow this program, he doesn't have the talent to win this game. Expect Purdue to hang around until it can’t. Question is if that’ll be until the end of the first or second quarter.

@Minnesota (Nov. 23): This could be sneaky. With Maryland, Illinois and Rutgers up ahead of the Nittany Lions' visit, the Gophers face a manageable schedule and an off week before Penn State makes the late November trip to the Twin Cities. Minnesota already has beaten USC while nearly beating Michigan and North Carolina. The Gophers boast a solid defense (fourth nationally in pass defense, seventh in total defense) and an increasingly confident quarterback. Minnesota coach PJ Fleck might come across as a James Franklin knock-off without the big wins but Fleck has something brewing this year. Is it enough to stage a second upset of Penn State at home? Time will tell. Franklin usually does well in rematches.

Maryland (Nov. 30): The Terps started their year on fire like always and have come crashing back down like always. Franklin won’t mind putting the finishing touches on this season against his old program, although it will be awkward if this is the final game of the Mike Locksley era at Maryland.

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Ben Jones has been covering Penn State athletics for 13 years, having been to countless home and road games for Nittany Lion sporting events spanning from the Rose Bowl to the NCAA Tournament. He's also the author of the book Happy Valley Hockey. You can read his work at https://benjonesonpennstate.substack.com and follow him on X (Twitter) at Ben_Jones88