How will Penn State define and achieve success in 2026?

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For the first time this calendar year, we are starting a new week knowing there is a Penn State football game awaiting us at the end of it. And there is a bit of a breath of fresh air as we head into another season of watching, discussing, and reacting to Penn State football this fall.

For the first time in a little more than a decade, there is a new head coach at the helm with Matt Campbell now fully ingrained as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. The process to hire Campbell was a drawn-out process, perhaps taking longer than you may have desired given the circumstances. The hope here is that the wait was worth it. So far, Campbell has taken on a vastly different approach to building the program compared to his predecessor (James Franklin, who is getting started with his next job at Virginia Tech this week).

To say Campbell is a complete tonal shift from Franklin is a bit of an understatement. Both coaches have their ideas of how to succeed at Penn State, and they sound very different. Franklin did many things right in Happy Valley, especially from the start of his tenure with the Penn State program. His messaging grew tiresome and stale as time went by without the evidence of taking the final steps needed to reach the ultimate goals. It was time for a change of scenery for both Penn State and Franklin. And the timing was right for Campbell to finally move on from his job at Iowa State. Change could be beneficial to all three parties: Campbell, Penn State, and even Franklin.

Campbell's job in 2026 is fairly straightforward. The national championship expectations and pressure are not being placed on him and the program going into this season. But the preseason rankings show there is a standard Penn State is expected to achieve this season, and being in the College Football Playoff conversation is a realistic expectation. Maybe Penn State is getting a preseason top-25 ranking because of the brand name. That may be unfair to suggest because the makeup of this roster is worthy of top-25 consideration. Yes, Penn State lost a ton of talent to the transfer portal, many deciding to follow Franklin to Virginia Tech, but it is not as if Penn State scraped the bottom of the barrel to fill some holes on the depth chart for 2026.

Rocco Becht is a battle-tested starting quarterback who has a strong relationship with Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser from their time together at Iowa State. Becht may not set the world on fire with his passing stats, but he is a veteran passer who will be surrounded by some key teammates he has existing chemistry with at Iowa State, including running back Carson Hansen and wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. Combined with some key returning pieces like Anthony Donkoh to help solidify an under-the-radar offensive line and a somewhat favorable schedule, Penn State has some good pieces in place for a successful season.

But how will success be defined?

The ultimate goal is always to win a national championship. Odds are that will not be the end result for Penn State in 2026. So how will fans define this season as a success? Is making the College Football Playoff enough? Is it winning a game in the playoff, especially if it is at home?

We do not live in a college football society where new coaches are being given any mulligans in their first year on the job. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has wrecked the curve for new coaches after winning a national title at Indiana (INDIANA!) in two years and taking the Hoosiers to the playoff in each of his first two seasons. Campbell is not Cignetti, of course, but it is fair to suggest there are some similarities in their coaching philosophies. Cignetti is a bit more hard-nosed than Campbell, and he is certainly one who is not afraid to show off his self-confidence and raise the bar of expectations wherever he goes. Campbell is not shying away from setting his own standards for the Nittany Lions, but he may take a little more time to get Penn State back to legitimately thinking about chasing a national title.

That may not sit well with Penn State fans who are starving for a national title after years of suffering watching the previous regime fall short in the biggest games of the year time and time again. The truth is this season will likely be classified as a success with merely making the College Football Playoff. With a 12-team field and a schedule that does not include Indiana, Ohio State, or Oregon, that will be an achievable goal and a fair demand.

But there is a long-term plan being set in motion that will rely on recruiting and player development. Heading to the transfer portal to bring in the top stars looking for playing time in new places does not appear to be a main part of the program-building plan being utilized by Campbell. Are you willing to accept a playoff appearance as the ceiling for this team if it means a solid foundation will continue to be forged for success down the line?

No matter how you want to decide what will and will not be a success this season, it is good to finally have a game back on our calendar this week. Forget about the long-term vision and outlook. Sit back, enjoy the start of a new era getting underway with an actual game.

Let's have some fun watching this ride play out beginning with Marshall this Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: How will Penn State define and achieve success in 2026?

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