Penn State 2023 schedule reaction: Lions face eighth Big Ten road opener; when will the White Out be?

Penn State has its 2023 football schedule. The Big Ten announced its next slate of games on Wednesday. Before we dive into reaction and takeaways, here is the full rundown of the slate for what will be James Franklin’s 10th season as the leader of the Lions:

Sept. 2 – vs. West Virginia
Sept. 9 – vs. Delaware
Sept. 16 – at Illinois
Sept. 23 – vs. Iowa
Sept. 30 – at Northwestern
Oct. 7 – BYE WEEK
Oct. 14 – vs. UMASS
Oct. 21 – at Ohio State
Oct. 28 – vs. Indiana
Nov. 4 – at Maryland
Nov. 11 – vs. Michigan
Nov. 18 – vs. Rutgers
Nov. 25 – at Michigan State

Now, it’s time for some thoughts.

1. Penn State pounded the drum to start its Big Ten slate at home. It didn’t work

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft and head coach James Franklin were blunt at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago when asked about how often the Lions have started Big Ten play on the road. Next season’s conference opener at Illinois on Sept. 16 will mark the eighth straight year and 17th in the last 20 that Penn State’s first conference game will be away from Beaver Stadium.

“(Franklin) called me the other day (about it). I said, what? I called the conference office and said, ‘this is unacceptable’,” Kraft said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “So we’re addressing that right away. … This shouldn’t happen to Penn State. We should be at home for our opener. I did deal with that.”

The Big Ten didn’t agree. That led to another statement from Kraft Wednesday.

“It is incredibly frustrating and disappointing Penn State will be starting our Big Ten football slate next year on the road for the eighth-straight season and for the 13th time in the last 14 years,” Kraft said.

“When I arrived on campus, I shared with the conference staff my concerns and repeatedly referenced their failure to address this issue in the past. I have been in communication with Commissioner Warren and I am confident this issue will be addressed moving forward.”

The 2024 schedule has not yet been set. And, it will not be for quite some time as the Big Ten prepares to get rid of its division format while welcoming USC and UCLA officially into the fold. But, all eyes will be on where Penn State starts conference play then.

2. When will the White Out game be?

Penn State picked Minnesota as its White Out game opponent this year instead of Ohio State. What will it do next year?

If we learned anything from this year’s decision, it’s that the Lions want one of college football’s best fan spectacles to be held in primetime. That might immediately rule out the Michigan game unless the Big Ten also eliminates its rule about not having night games in November.

The most likely foe, though, is Iowa, assuming that game is in primetime. If it’s not, perhaps West Virginia will be and thus be the selection.

We’re a long way off from having any of those answers, though. It’s also worth noting that with the Wolverines coming to town in November, it would be dark for most of the game, even if it starts at 3:30 p.m.

So, let the debate begin.

3. Lions have set up to be unbeaten heading into Ohio State

We’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves, considering the transfer portal will change rosters dramatically across the country over the next few months. But, Penn State should be favored over every opponent it faces before traveling to Ohio State on Oct. 21. In fact, and perhaps surprisingly, the smallest spread could come opposite Illinois, depending on how that program comes through the offseason.

The move of the UMass game from November to October doesn’t hurt matters, either. The Lions were to be at Michigan State that day before traveling to Ohio Stadium the following Saturday. Now, they’ll be fresh off a bye before being an enormous favorite against the Minutemen and then facing Ryan Day’s team.

4. Michigan State is back in the finale spot

At one point, it seemed like the Big Ten was set on having Penn State face either Rutgers or Maryland to close out its regular season schedule. However, it will now battle Michigan State for the Land Grant Trophy in that spot both this year and next.

The Spartans have frequently been the Lions’ last opponent of the year, but when the Terps and Scarlet Knights were added to the conference, that appeared destined to change. However, the Spartans are back in the finale spot for at least the next two years.

5. Change worked for Penn State

From our point of view, this schedule is much better for Penn State than the last one. The biggest games are now spaced out more. See a comparison breakdown below:

Date/2023 opponent/who Penn State was supposed to face that day:

Sept. 2 – vs. West Virginia/vs. West Virginia
Sept. 9 – vs. Delaware/vs. Delaware
Sept. 16 – at Illinois/at Illinois
Sept. 23 – vs. Iowa/at Northwestern
Sept. 30 – at Northwestern/BYE WEEK
Oct. 7 – BYE WEEK/vs. Indiana
Oct. 14 – vs. UMASS/at Michigan State
Oct. 21 – at Ohio State/at Ohio State
Oct. 28 – vs. Indiana/Iowa
Nov. 4 – at Maryland/vs. Michigan
Nov. 11 – vs. Michigan/vs. UMass
Nov. 18 – vs. Rutgers/vs. Rutgers
Nov. 25 – at Michigan State/at Maryland