Studying the Penn State 2011 Football Schedule
When looking at the 2011 Penn State football schedule, you see many familiar things, an extremely tough end to the schedule, and a leading out-of-conference match-up in your own home stadium that will get viewed from all associated with conference football. In This year Penn State offers their typical slate of home and away Big Ten conference games, but has this back loaded with season ending games at Wisconsin as well as Ohio State. However most fans will be focusing on the early season match-up with Alabama. Penn State versus Alabama football tickets will be probably the most difficult to get in 2011.
Last year Penn State visited Tuscaloosa, Alabama to play the Crimson Tide at the start of the season for a match-up of two of college football classic programs. Alabama was one of the nation’s top groups and had been rated #1 at the time. The game had plenty of buzz, and many PSU fans made the journey, however the group was honestly overmatched.
Penn State lost the game 24-3.
This year the game comes to State College, Pennsylvania and while Alabama will still be an extremely talented challenger, likely rated in the top ten, the overall game should be much more equally matched. Regardless, it’ll just as over-blown not just between your Two fan bases however over the college football landscape in general. Also like last year, it will provide plenty of motivation for that program as well as players through the entire off-season getting such a strong opponent entering Beaver Stadium so early in the season.
Beyond the Alabama game, Penn State has bracketed 3 additional out-of-conference games around Bama before getting into Big Ten play. The other OOC competitors are from mid-major conferences, including I-AA opponent as well as opening opponent Indiana State. Penn State additionally plays at Temple and at home versus Eastern Michigan in Sept.
Once Big Ten play starts, Penn State has home games against Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, as well as brand new Big 10 fellow member and immediate Penn State rival Nebraska. Road games come against Indiana, Northwestern, and the prior mentioned games at Wisconsin and Ohio State to end the season. While the home as well as away opponents tend to be pretty balanced in the Big 10, the ultimate Two road games make the schedule overall being on the difficult aspect.
There is a new reward with regard to Penn State in 2011 beyond their own usual goals of a Big Ten Championship, Bowl Game, and BCS Championship. All those are still goals, however this year is the inagurual year for the Big Ten Championship game on Dec 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. Winning the ‘Leaders’ Division means topping OSU and Wisconsin, but would place Penn State in the game.
