CBS Sports projects that Penn State will miss the College Football Playoff, facing Texas A&M in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The team, under new head coach Matt Campbell, has a relatively easy non-conference schedule but lacks the strength to contend for a CFP berth.
This offseason, perhaps the hardest team to pin down in terms of potential on-field success has been the Penn State Nittany Lions. After a disappointing season in Happy Valley that saw the team finish at .500, wholesale changes were made, including at head coach. Now, Matt Campbell is responsible for leading a new era of Penn State football, one filled with many transfers and uncertainty. As a result, there has been a wide variance of opinion about how the upcoming season will play out. According to CBS Sports, Penn State fans may have to temper expectations of some other pundits saying they could make a CFP run.
CBS Sports' brad Crawford has Penn State just missing out on a CFP berth, facing Texas A&M in the ReliaQuest Bowl. This could be a case of the Nittany Lions simply not having the schedule strength to contend for the CFP. Much like last season, the Nittany Lions start off with the easiest of non-conference slates, getting Buffalo, Temple, and Marshall all at home. In fact, their hardest matchup might come at home against a USC team that has similar questions surrounding their contention.
This all makes for an intriguing debate about how the Nittany Lions should be viewed this offseason. A team filled with change, it remains to be seen if that can lead to on field results. While the team certainly has the schedule for success, it doesn't necessarily mean they could look as strong as we think.
CBS Sports projects that Penn State will miss the College Football Playoff and face Texas A&M in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Matt Campbell is the new head coach of Penn State football, leading the team into a new era filled with changes.
Penn State's non-conference schedule includes Buffalo, Temple, and Marshall, all of which are home games.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: CBS Sports makes bold projection for Penn State's football season