Penn State has easiest schedule in Big Ten, CBS Sports says: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for July 4 include a look at the Nittany Lions’ 2023 schedule plus headlines of the day and more.
It’s time to dive into Tuesday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with CBS Sports’ power ranking of Big Ten teams based on how easy or difficult their schedule is. National college football writer Tom Fornelli says Penn State has the most manageable schedule in the conference entering the 2023 slate.
“I’m expecting a big season for the Nittany Lions, and this schedule is part of the thought process,” Fornelli writes. “The opener against West Virginia shouldn’t be a problem, and the other two nonconference opponents are Delaware and UMass. That’s basically playing two FCS schools.
“The conference slate isn’t easy, and in an odd quirk, Penn State’s first three B1G games are against West opponents (Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern). I’d expect the Nittany Lions to be favored in 10 of their 12 games at a minimum.”
Top 10
- 1
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 2
Dan Lanning
Oregon coach getting NFL buzz
- 3Trending
UK upsets Duke
Mark Pope leads Kentucky to first Champions Classic win since 2019
- 4Hot
5-star flip
Ole Miss flips Alabama WR commit Caleb Cunningham
- 5
Second CFP Top 25
Newest CFP rankings are out
In other news, Penn State coach James Franklin recently discussed his program’s approach to the transfer portal on the “Next Up with Adam Breneman” podcast.
“We’re going to go in the transfer portal like the junior colleges to solve problems where we have immediate needs,” Franklin said. “And for us, a lot of times, it has been with young men that we recruited on the front end. So, there’s already an established relationship, which I think also helps reduce risk. We know what we’re bringing into the program.
“Now, I say that. If we have a year where our transfer portal numbers spike and they spike late then we’re probably going to have to go into the transfer portal. Because, that’s the only option at that point to solve those problems.”
Headlines of the day
Who in Big Ten football is best against spread the past 7 years? The answer might surprise: Jones, PennLive
Top 5 Penn State players who could set off fireworks this fall with explosive plays: Pickel, BWI
Penn State Tabs Boston College’s Mike Gambino as Baseball Coach: Wogenrich, SI
Four Penn State games that will deliver the biggest fireworks: Bauer, BWI
Five Penn State football players who are primed for 2023 breakout seasons: Allen, Daily Collegian
What is on the Penn State football to-do list in July?: Pickel, BWI
James Franklin details Penn State’s approach to NIL: Rudolph, On3
Quote of the day
“If there’s something we need and it’s important and it’s going to impact winning, I can make a call to (athletic director) Pat Kraft. And, it can go up the chain of command and we can get things done and we can get things done quickly. One of the reasons we are having a great recruiting class, two of our top recruits met with Dr. Bendapudi. She killed it, they committed that weekend. That alignment matters.”
–PSU coach James Franklin to letterman Adam Breneman on his podcast about the help that alignment is providing the Lions in 2023.
