As the Penn State football program looks to navigate the expanded College Football Playoffs and secure a spot among the nation’s elite, the strategy of scheduling out-of-conference opponents becomes vital. With the playoffs expanding to twelve teams, the debate arises between conservative scheduling, focusing on minimizing losses versus aggressive scheduling, which aims to enhance the team’s strength of schedule. In this article, we will explore the merits of each approach and determine which path Penn State should take in shaping its future scheduling decisions.
It is important to keep in mind that Penn State has signed contracts with numerous schools, filling their non-conference slate until 2028 (there is one open spot in 2025).