As USC football prepares to play Penn State, we are talking with Nittany Lions Wire about this fascinating game. Lead writer Kevin McGuire offered some blunt words about the reality of the program under coach Matt Campbell, plus an assessment of one of the teams which beat the Nittany Lions earlier this season.
"It may not be what most fans will want to hear, but Penn State was always heading to a multi-year rebuilding process under Matt Campbell," McGuire told us. "Campbell came in late and that hit the Class of 2026 hard for the Nittany Lions, and he has made it clear he prefers to build through recruiting and player development rather than plug holes for a quick fix with the transfer portal. With that being the case and with the number of players
who followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech (both as transfers or Class of 2026 commits), it was clear Penn State and Campbell were going to need some time to right the ship fully."
We asked McGuire about Penn State blowing a 17-0 lead at home to Wisconsin. Was this the product of Wisconsin being better than expected?
"I'm beginning to think Wisconsin is better than I anticipated they would be this season," McGuire wrote. "The Badgers hung with Notre Dame for a while in the season opener before the Irish established control after halftime, and that's one of the best teams in the country. And Wisconsin handled Michigan State last weekend to follow up their big second-half comeback against Penn State. I am not suggesting the Badgers are going to be in the playoff mix at the end of the season, but Luke Fickell definitely seems to have them heading in a very positive direction this season."
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: Analyst says Penn State is in a rebuilding year
