Penn State football: ESPN predicts Nittany Lions’ 2023 record

The Penn State football team is heading into a season full of lofty expectations following the Nittany Lions’ 11-2 Rose Bowl-winning season a year ago. With Drew Allar under center, a relatively favorable schedule, and tons of returning talent and rising stars, Penn State is expected to be a nationally relevant team this fall, perhaps even competing for a Big Ten title game appearance for the first time since 2016. Recently, the ESPN Football Power Index released its Penn State football record predictions for the coming 2023 season, and it has some interesting results.

Penn State football record predicted by ESPN Football Power Index

According to 247 Sports and other sources, Penn State football is already ranked as one of the top five teams in the nation. With a 10-2 record last season, the Nittany Lions were on the cusp of breaking through the program’s glass ceiling, but losses to Michigan and Ohio State dashed their hopes. This year, the highly regarded FPI model predicts another 10-2 season for Penn State, which should be enough to secure a spot in another New Year’s Six bowl game.

While the FPI model favors Penn State against every team on their schedule except for Ohio State and Michigan, it gives the Nittany Lions only a 11.6% chance of victory in Columbus and a 46.9% chance of victory against the Wolverines. The late-season matchup against Michigan in Happy Valley appears to be a coin flip.

Despite these predictions, the games are played on the field, not on paper, so it remains to be seen how things will unfold for Penn State this fall.

Many experts predict another 10-win season for James Franklin’s squad, which would be his fifth such season at Penn State. If things go well, it could turn into an 11-win season and fourth New Year’s Six bowl win. While the ceiling may be higher, a 10-2 record is a reasonable expectation for the Nittany Lions in year one of the Drew Allar era. Regardless of what the future holds, Penn State fans will be eagerly waiting to see how their team performs on the field this fall.

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