The Big Ten is rivaling the SEC in terms of competitiveness, though coming into Week 2, Penn State Nittany Lions have raised some concerns over its schedule.
During his appearance on ESPN’s “The Rich Eisen Show,” SEC analyst Paul Finebaum talked about Penn State’s schedule and noted that this does not look good for the Nittany Lions’ CFP chances.
Host Rich Eisen asked Finebaum which teams he believes are national title contenders, and the SEC analyst admitted that he thinks No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 LSU are obvious contenders now that the season has started. However, he was not very impressed with No. 2 Penn State.
“Now, you do have to help me on Penn State because when you beat up on the top three teams in the Catholic youth organizations, Philadelphia, I mean, how do you get away with with playing a schedule like that?” he asked. “It’s downright embarrassing while Michigan is out there playing Texas last year and at Oklahoma and Ohio State’s playing Texas this year and LSU is going to Clemson, and you’re playing Villanova.” (9:32)
Finebaum pointed out that while other contenders were playing against one another, Penn State is taking on what he believes is an easy school to beat in Villanova, and that this might not be enough to make it to the College Football Playoffs in January.
Nittany Lions coach James Franklin has been very vocal about how proud he is of the schedule he arranged for his team this season. So far, he and his team have already dispatched Nevada and FIU with ease and are looking to do the same with Villanova.
What Are Must-Win Games for James Franklin’s Penn State to Make the CFP?
Despite what many believe to be an “easy” schedule, Penn State Nittany Lions does have some very tough games on its schedule, including some must-win ones. The first will be a home game against the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 27, with a win possibly strengthening Penn State’s CFP chances.
They also have possibly tough road games against to Michigan State (Nov. 15) and Rutgers (Nov. 29). However, one must win happens before these, on Oct. 18, against Iowa, as the Nittany Lions need to get their momentum going ahead of their Nov. 1 visit to Ohio State. A win against the No. 1 Buckeyes strengthens their CFP chances, but a loss to Iowa would be dangerous for them.
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