ESPN CFB Analyst Heather Dinich Gives Penn State Lofty Playoff Expectations

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No one really knows what the Penn State Nittany Lions are going to look like in 2026. They have a totally revamped roster, a totally new staff, high expectations, and a ton of mystery.

It's as fascinating a situation as we have ever seen. It is rare that a coach comes into a new situation with a team that might be ready to win while their supporters believe that they should win and should be playing football at the top of the country.

That's the situation that Matt Campbell finds himself in after he left Iowa State to become the head coach at Penn State.

Two years ago, the Nittany Lions were one throw away from playing Ohio State in the National Championship. Then, the program flipped on its head, and they head into 2026 with a clean slate.

However, the expectations for this team are to make the playoffs and compete with the best of the best at the top of the country. 

Heather Dinich of ESPN was on her live hit from Chicago and was asked what the expectation and conversation are surrounding the Nittany Lions. She said, "This is a team that could be a surprise contender for the College Football Playoff because the schedule is so manageable. Penn State doesn't play Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon, and they don't have a Power Four non-conference opponent. It's the 62nd toughest schedule in the country… They have talent on this team… but in order to be sneaky contenders, they have to put it all together."

It was a lengthy response to a question that seems to be where nearly everyone has the Nittany Lions pegged heading into the year. The thought around this program is that no matter what the circumstances are, the schedule is very doable.

Meanwhile, there are several teams even within their conference that have some of the hardest schedules in the country. Teams like Ohio State, USC, and Oregon all play some of the toughest teams that are available in the conference.

There are some really interesting scenarios that could come to fruition of say, Penn State goes 10-2 with one of those losses being to USC, while the Trojans go 9-3 with losses to Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana. 

Then what happens?

The precedent is that was set last year was that head-to-head has to matter, but then one good, deserving team gets left out of the playoffs.

Some wild scenarios could play out, but the Nittany Lions are going to be right in the mix for a CFP birth thanks to the strength, or lack thereof, of their schedule.

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