Scouting Penn State's 2024 Football Schedule and the Elusive Playoff Berth

Here's what the Nittany Lions face as they look to claim a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin on the sideline against the Mississippi Rebels in the second quarter of the Peach Bowl. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State has announced its game themes for the 2024 season, adding energy to the team’s schedule, which is poised to look different with the arrival of four new Big Ten opponents. 

The Nittany Lions will host seven games at Beaver Stadium and travel for five away games this fall in the first year of the 18-team Big Ten and expanded College Football Playoff. If his program wins at least 10 games, as it has done the past two seasons, coach James Franklin likely will qualify for the first playoff appearance of his Penn State football tenure.

Here are some thoughts on the Nittany Lions’ schedule as they attempt to end their playoff drought.

Sneaky road trips

Of Penn State’s five road trips, three stand out as potential roadblocks in Franklin’s bid for the postseason. 

The Nittany Lions will start the season Aug. 31 with a tricky test at West Virginia, a team projected to finish among the worst in the Big 12 in 2023 but which finished with a strong 9-4 record. The Mountaineers return seven starters on offense, including veteran quarterback Garrett Greene and star running backs CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White.

Coach Neal Brown could make a legitimate run at a conference title if West Virginia’s defense, primarily its depleted secondary, can flip the script.

Penn State should fend off its opponents between the season opener and its Week 6 trip to USC — the second true test on the team’s schedule. The Trojans significantly underperformed to an 8-5 record last season. But with a revamped defense under new coordinator, and former Nittany Lion, D’Anton Lynn, USC could be a dangerous threat in 2024.

Projected starting quarterback Miller Moss isn’t Caleb Williams, because who is? But with a standout bowl game performance and a total offseason under his belt, Moss should be comfortable in coach Lincoln Riley’s system come Oct. 12 against the Nittany Lions.

Penn State’s schedule doesn’t get any easier after the Trojans, with a trip to Wisconsin following a bye week. Badgers coach Luke Fickell hopes to trend upward after a 7-6 record in his first season. He’ll rely on his defense to remain sturdy, as it was in 2023, and a major improvement on offense behind Miami (Fla.) transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and returning star wide receiver Will Pauling.

RELATED: Penn State welcomes Washington to the Big Ten with a White Out

Is it a 10-win schedule?

Even with a tougher schedule from start to finish, the Nittany Lions are expected to qualify for the playoff in 2024. That means beating all but two opponents at most, the toughest of which will be Ohio State, USC and West Virginia.

In theory, every opponent on Penn State’s schedule is beatable. But the reality may not match, especially considering a tiring stretch from Oct. 12 to Nov. 9 that sees the Nittany Lions play the Trojans, Buckeyes, Wisconsin and Washington, last year’s CFP runner-up.

Penn State is highly likely to lose at least one game and could very well drop a pair. But three losses and Franklin is once again out of the playoff. With a revamped offensive scheme behind new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and another year of development for quarterback Drew Allar and his star running backs, the Nittany Lions could absolutely win 10 games in 2024.

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Seth Engle has covered Penn State football and men’s basketball for the past four years, most recently serving as the football editor of the Daily Collegian. His work has appeared in the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PennLive, Centre Daily Times and more. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @bigsengtweets.