Penn State & Matt Campbell's Playoff Hopes May Come Down to This

Penn State football’s trip to Washington could become one of the most important games of the 2026 season. Michigan and USC may be the toughest opponents on the schedule, but the road game in Seattle could have the biggest impact on Penn State’s College Football Playoff path under Matt Campbell. On this Locked On College Crossover, Zach Seyko and Roman Tomashoff break down Penn State vs Washington, Matt Campbell’s first Big Ten season, Rocco Becht’s role in the Penn State offense, Demond Williams’ upside for Washington, and where both programs fit in the Big Ten picture. The conversation also hits Penn State’s coaching staff, D’Anton Lynn, Ikaika Malloe, Tyson Veidt, the challenge of adjusting from Iowa State to the Big Ten, Washington’s offensive questions, and the pressure on both teams to separate from the second tier of the conference. This matters now because Penn State is entering a new era with playoff expectations, but the same question is still hanging over the program: can the Nittany Lions win the kind of game that changes the season? Washington at Husky Stadium may be one of the first real answers. Penn State fans: is Washington a must-win game if the Nittany Lions want to make the College Football Playoff? Become an every-dayer! Subscribe to Locked On Nittany Lions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lockedonnittanylions?sub\_confirmation=1 Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast   Rugiet Get 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhl Rugiet. Performance medicine for men. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONittanyLions?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow the show on X! https://x.com/LockedOnNittany https://x.com/zach\_seyko #lockedonnittanylions #pennstate #nittanylions #pennstatefootball #collegefootball #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball #lockedon #weare #football 0:00 Penn State’s Season-Defining Washington Game 1:15 Penn State and Washington as Sneaky Playoff Contenders 3:00 Why Seattle Matters for Penn State’s CFP Path 4:13 Is Washington a Must-Win for Penn State? 6:42 Penn State’s 10–2 Scenario Under Matt Campbell 8:35 Ad Break 9:49 Biggest Question for Penn State in 2026 10:00 Matt Campbell’s Staff Adjusting to Big Ten Play 12:21 Iowa State Transfers and the Big Ten Jump 13:23 Demond Williams, Washington’s Offense, and NIL Tension 15:58 Demond Williams Compared to Johnny Manziel 17:36 Can Washington Avoid Hero Ball? 20:29 Rocco Becht Expectations at Penn State 21:16 Why Penn State Must Protect Rocco Becht 23:51 Penn State’s Place in the Big Ten 25:19 Matt Campbell, James Franklin, and Big-Game Pressure 26:49 Can Penn State or Washington Pass Michigan? 29:17 Penn State’s Big-Game Problem Still Looms 32:05 Is Penn State’s Issue Systemic or Coaching? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.