CBS Sports predicts Matt Campbell’s record in first year at Penn State
· Yahoo Sports
There are plenty of new faces in new places as the 2026 college football season inches closer. Some of these coaches in the first year with their new programs are tasked with resetting the culture, others are expected to bring a sense of stability, and a select few are burdened with the mandate to win right away.
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Penn State head coach Matt Campbell certainly won’t be fired or reprimanded if he struggles in his first year in Happy Valley, but this is a proud program that won’t accept mediocrity or underachievement for very long. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports predicted the records for each new coach this season, and the Nittany Lions’ leader got a respectable estimate at 9-3.
This record is tied for third-best among all of Crawford’s coaching predictions, with Utah coach Morgan Scalley and LSU coach Lane Kiffin ranked higher. Campbell is even expected to do better than Kyle Whittingham at Michigan, who is arguably walking into a much easier situation with a lot more talent.
9-3 likely wouldn’t be enough to get into the College Football Playoff, but it would secure a Bowl Game and be a much smoother ride than last year’s rollercoaster. Crawford has Penn State going 6-3 in the Big Ten, likely meaning losses against Michigan and USC. It hopefully wouldn’t be a sign of things to come, but after more than a decade of big-game blunders under the leadership of James Franklin, it would be a relief for fans if Campbell didn’t begin his tenure losing two of his only big games in the conference.
It’s tough to gauge any team’s standing right now with no games or scrimmages happening, but the vibes seem to be positive around the Nittany Lions at the moment. Let’s see if they can parlay this energy into a successful season that shocks some people.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: CBS Sports predicts Matt Campbell’s record in first year at Penn State