Some thoughts on Penn State’s revised 2021 Big Ten schedule, which you can see below. It was always going to be a very difficult schedule, and the Big Ten didn’t do PSU any favors by making things even more difficult in some ways.
**First and foremost, a trip to Wisconsin remains for the season opener. That’s just a brutal game. When the Big Ten announced it would be revising schedules, PSU fans had to be hoping the trip to Wisconsin would be pushed back. But as the league’s marquee game that week, the Big Ten kept it the same.
**PSU would have had a bye on Oct. 2 before going to Iowa. That would have been a big help before a tough road trip. Now, the Lions get a tough game against Indiana the week before, although it is at home.
**Now PSU gets a bye after the Iowa trip, which could be good coming off what is always a physical game.
**The Ohio State game has been pushed up to Oct. 30, from originally Nov. 20. So, Penn State will have to be clicking on all cylinders a little earlier in new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s offense to be ready for that showdown in Columbus.
**Penn State initially was going to have to play Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. That’s now changed, with the Ohio State game moved up.
**The regular season once again will end with the Land Grant Trophy game against Michigan State. It seems like the Big Ten enjoys having PSU and Sparty play on that closing weekend, so we’ll see if it stays that way in years to come, as well.
Update: 1:05 p.m.
This is Penn State’s revised Big Ten schedule for the 2021 season, just released on BTN.
Sept. 4: at Wisconsin — stays same
Oct. 2: vs. Indiana — previously was bye week
Oct. 9: at Iowa — stays same
Oct: 16: Bye — previously was vs. Illinois
Oct. 23: vs. Illinois — previously was at Michigan State
Oct. 30: at Ohio State — previously was vs. Indiana
Nov. 6: at Maryland — stays same
Nov. 13: vs. Michigan — stays same
Nov. 20: vs. Rutgers — previously was at Ohio State
Nov. 27: at Michigan State — previously was vs. Rutgers
And here is the full schedule, with non-conference games:
ORIGINAL STORY
The Big Ten will be revealing its revised 2021 football schedule today at 1 p.m. on BTN. There could be a lot of implications for Penn State in the scheduling announcement, so stay tuned throughout the day for updates.
Today at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT, a revised 2021 Big Ten football schedule will be announced live on Big Ten Network.
— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) February 5, 2021
PSU’s current 2021 conference slate can be found below, but it certainly will change. The question is whether there will be wholesale changes for PSU and everyone else, or just some minor changes.
The biggest thing to look for will be the opening-week game, which is currently set to be a trip to Wisconsin on Sept. 4. That trip figures to be a very difficult one, and could set the tone for the rest of the season for a PSU team that will enter the campaign with high hopes.
So, it will be interesting to see if the Nittany Lions get a break in week one with a schedule change.
Current Big Ten schedule (subject to change):
Sept. 4: at Wisconsin
Oct. 9: at Iowa
Oct. 16: vs. Illinois
Oct. 23: at Michigan State
Oct. 30: vs. Indiana
Nov. 6: at Maryland
Nov. 13: vs. Michigan
Nov. 20: at Ohio State
Nov. 27: vs. Rutgers
Nittany Sports Now will post the new schedule as soon as it is released this afternoon.