Penn State Could Have the SAME Record as Indiana in 2026?! — Wild Big Ten Predictions

Penn State football is already facing a major 2026 question: would a 9–3 record be good enough in Matt Campbell’s first season, or would that feel like Penn State underachieving again? A new Big Ten prediction has Penn State finishing 9–3, raising questions about USC, Michigan, Washington, and the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff path. On this Locked On College Crossover, Zach Seyko and Jacob Goins discuss Penn State’s 2026 schedule, Matt Campbell’s Year 1 expectations, the Big Ten race, USC’s hype under Lincoln Riley, Michigan’s offensive outlook with Bryce Underwood, and whether Penn State can finally win the big game. This matters right now because Penn State fans are not just looking for another solid regular season. Matt Campbell was brought in to raise the ceiling, and games against USC, Michigan, and Washington could define whether Penn State is a real playoff contender or still stuck with the same concerns. Do you think 9–3 would be acceptable for Penn State in Matt Campbell’s first year? Drop your prediction in the comments and subscribe for daily Penn State football coverage. 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 FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-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 Intro 1:50 Is 9–3 Enough for Penn State? 4:36 Matt Campbell Must Win a Big Game 5:29 Michigan and Bryce Underwood Debate 6:47 Who Gets Fired?! 8:26 USC Hype and Lincoln Riley Pressure 11:04 Bryant Haines Calls Out Alabama 15:24 Why Alabama Fans Are Projecting 17:46 Indiana Earned the Right to Talk 20:19 Why Starting Earlier Could Help 23:07 Should Conference Championship Games End? 25:24 College Football Playoff Expansion Debate 26:28 Final Thoughts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.