Penn State Football: Potential Bowl Game Opponents for the Nittany Lions

It is hard to believe the 2026 college football regular season is coming down to the wire. With just three weeks left in the season, it is time for analysts, teams, fans and the college football community to think about the big picture, which is the College Football Playoff. For Penn State, they will not get into the dance with four losses; however, they are just one win away from being eligible for a bowl game. With that being said, let’s take a look at some potential bowl game opponents for the Nittany Lions and why they could be a fit and how realistic each one is. 

Potential Bowl Game Opponents 

Virginia Tech

When doing something, you usually save the best for last, but let’s change it up and put the best first. The Virginia Tech Hokies are the first team that comes to mind, and every Penn State fan knows why. The Hokies are coached by James Franklin, who served the Nittany Lions for 12 seasons and had a disastrous end to his tenure at State College. This matchup makes sense for both teams and college football as a whole because it would have a big-game feel with the Franklin storyline.

Virginia Tech is 6-3, and the Nittany Lions are 5-4, and the very similar records increase the likelihood of the two teams facing off. If the Hokies win more than one game out of the three remaining, though, it may be tough to draw Penn State, who already has four losses. Overall, there is a very good chance the two teams meet up, and the bowl game would feel like a playoff game. 

Iowa State

The next potential bowl game opponent is another head coach facing his former team, with Matt Campbell going head-to-head with the Iowa State Cyclones. Matt Campbell, the first-year head coach at Penn State, previously coached at Iowa State for 10 seasons. This is a lot less likely to happen than the Virginia Tech game, but it is still possible because college football loves to draw attention and the two teams’ records.

The Cyclones are 4-5 and need two more wins to qualify for a bowl game, but with how similar their records are, there is no reason to think it can’t happen. Again, it is going to be very tough, and Iowa State will have to win two out of their last three to even qualify for a bowl game, but if they do, they will finish with a very similar record to Penn State. The two teams are not in the same conference, making it another reason why it could happen. 

North Carolina

The final potential bowl game opponent that Penn State could face is an exciting team, and that is the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Tar Heels, led by former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, are 5-4 with the same record as Penn State. This one is a lot more likely than Iowa State because the Tar Heels are not too dominant for the Nittany Lions to face off, and neither team is electric. The two teams could meet up in Duke’s Mayo Bowl. It also makes sense because both teams could use the game for a confidence boost in the future.

The Last Word

As mentioned, Penn State is not going to make the College Football Playoff, as they have four losses with just three games left, but they are just one win away from being bowl-eligible. They will get to decide if they want to play in a bowl game or not, but assuming they do, these are some teams that make sense to potentially face. Out of all of the opponents, which do you think makes the most sense for the Nittany Lions, and why?

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