Matt Campbell’s first season as Penn State’s football coach will feature five away games, including a visit to Lincoln Financial Field to face Temple in early September. Penn State’s full 2026 football schedule was released last week.

Penn State’s prized transfer portal addition at quarterback is on track to participate in spring practices after an offseason surgery. Redshirt senior signal caller Rocco Becht will begin running “soon” and aims to begin his throwing program about halfway through the spring,

USC made their only trips from California to State College in 1993-94, losing 21-20 and 38-14. The teams have met four times since then, twice in the New Jersey Meadowlands in 1996 and 2000, in the 2017 Rose Bowl and in 2024 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Penn State won a 33-30 overtime thriller.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is excited to see how Illinois, Iowa and Penn State compete this fall with easier Big Ten football schedules to look forward to. Klatt was particularly impressed with one non-CFP Big Ten team last season.

Campbell has the quarterback, the offensive continuity and the schedule to lead the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff.