Are you Ok with the Penn State Football Schedule?
Penn State football offers another exciting season planned for 2010, and Penn State fans are already preparing for gameday trips to Pleased Valley and road trips to opponent stadiums. Obviously whilst each and every PSU football season brings excellent anticipation and hope, each one of these has its own character depending on the actual teams on the schedule, and often that’s formed by the non-conference competitors slated to play the Nittany Lions.
Penn State’s Big Ten competitors are pretty constant, and whilst some roll on and off the actual schedule every year, and the home and away elements flip, you can generally rely on excellent Big 10 matchups. For example, in 2010, Penn State may have exciting match ups with Michigan and Ohio State on the road and (each will be really tough games, even though Michigan is down), and home games against Michigan State, Northwestern, and Illinois. Virtually all these types of games will be competitive, and tickets will be sold out.
The actual out-of-conference schedule is a different tale. These types of teams roll on the schedule pretty much new every year, and the actual games could be classic big team match ups or romps over lesser teams. Most years you get a bit of each.
In 2010, this really is certainly the situation, as Penn State includes a classic match-up with Alabama. Penn State vs Alabama tickets in Tuscaloosa will be in high demand, and this will not only be the best game on the Penn State schedule in 2010, but among the best match ups in NCAA football for the whole year. This is the kind of game that you spend the whole off season getting excited about.
However to go with Alabama, Penn State offers match ups with Youngstown State (season opener), Kent State, and Temple. None of these are competitive games, and while Youngstown State is a very good program, this is not even a I-A school (its I-AA). Will you be in the market to buy Penn State vs Youngstown St football tickets or Penn State vs Temple football tickets?
You could reason that Temple will give Penn State a good game. In the end, they did reach a bowl game last year and are a lot improved under Al Golden. However does anybody really think they’ll compete in Happy Valley? Penn State will likely be considered a 3 touchdown favorite.
So because it is with most non-conference schedules, you need to take the great with the bad. Generally, I’d like to see Penn State schedule two competitive games to go with two easy ones. Ideally the 2 competitive games will be against BCS conference competitors. Nevertheless this year, given the caliber of the PSU vs Alabama match-up, I’d need to give this non-conference schedule an passing grade overall.
Irrespective, football season in State College is a unique time, so enjoy!
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