ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Penn State’s remaining games

Penn State looked fantastic in its season opener, and ESPN’s Football Power Index is really high on the Nittany Lions early in the season!

James Franklin’s squad started things off with a bang, securing a 72-point victory in the 79-7 Week 1 win over Idaho. The Nittany Lions racked up nearly 700 yards of total offense in the game and saw five players score a rushing touchdown.

Obviously, the competition will get stiffer, but Franklin’s team is deep at key positions. The youth at quarterback and the inexperience of starter Sean Clifford is likely the biggest concern. However, the defensive front and running back group all possess some serious talent.

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While Penn State gets ready for Buffalo, now is a good time to look ahead and see what projections are out there on the rest of the season. In fact, the FPI has Penn State favored in every game the rest of the way.

The Nittany Lions do have some tough games projected. However, the team is still given a greater than 50% chance to win matchups with Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Penn State also has the best odds to win the conference at 37.5. Michigan is the next closest at 22.6.

Here is Penn State’s remaining schedule along with the win probability, courtesy of the FPI:

• Sept. 7 vs Buffalo: 98.9%
• Sept. 14 vs Pittsburgh: 94.1%
• Sept. 27 @ Maryland: 79.2%
• Oct. 5 vs Purdue: 94.8%
• Oct. 12 @ Iowa: 71.0%
• Oct. 19 vs Michigan: 65.1%
• Oct. 26 @ Michigan State: 64.3%
• Nov. 9 @ Minnesota: 78.3%
• Nov. 16 vs Indiana: 91.3%
• Nov. 23 @ Ohio State: 62.3%
• Nov. 30 vs Rutgers: 97.0%

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.