Penn State Can Crash the Big Ten Title Race! + Who's Number One: Oregon, Ohio State, or Indiana?

Penn State football is trying to force its way into the Big Ten Championship conversation under Matt Campbell, but where do the Nittany Lions actually fit compared to Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, USC, and Washington? On this Locked On crossover, Zach Seyko, Spencer McLaughlin, and Jacob Goins break down the Big Ten hierarchy, Matt Campbell’s Penn State staff, D'Anton Lynn’s impact on the defense, Oregon’s coordinator questions, Indiana’s rise under Curt Cignetti, Lincoln Riley’s pressure at USC, Washington’s upside, and which teams could disrupt the Big Ten and College Football Playoff race. This matters now because Penn State has the combination fans want to see: a credible staff, a manageable schedule, defensive upside, and a chance to prove it belongs near the top of the conference. The question is whether Penn State is truly ready to challenge the top tier or still has too many unknowns in year one under Campbell. Penn State fans: where do you put the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten right now — top tier, second tier, or playoff sleeper? Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Become an every-dayer! Subscribe to Locked On Nittany Lions on YouTube:    / @lockedonnittanylions   Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everyday... Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONittanyLions... Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow the show on X! https://x.com/LockedOnNittany https://x.com/zach_seyko #lockedonnittanylions #pennstate #nittanylions #pennstatefootball #collegefootball #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball #lockedon #weare #football 0:00 Penn State’s Big Ten Championship Question 1:27 Oregon’s Coordinator and Offensive Line Concerns 3:06 Indiana’s Case as a Big Ten Title Favorite 4:10 Does Indiana Have the Best Staff in College Football? 5:40 Matt Campbell’s Penn State Staff Breakdown 7:00 Penn State vs USC in the Big Ten Coaching Tiers 8:33 Are Penn State, Michigan, USC, and Washington Tier Two? 10:40 Iowa, Kinnick, and Big Ten Trap Games 12:11 Oregon’s Kicker Concern and Penn State Kicker Memories 14:07 Is USC Facing a Make-or-Break Season? 15:25 USC Resources, NIL Spending, and Big Ten Expectations 16:23 Ohio State Staff Changes and Big Ten Coaching Tiers 18:34 Penn State and Washington as Big Ten Surprise Teams 20:17 Big Ten Depth Beyond Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana 22:33 Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Scrappy Big Ten Middle Class 25:01 UCLA, Bob Chesney, and Big Ten Sleeper Potential 26:47 Nebraska’s Big Ten Breakthrough Question 29:05 Big Ten vs SEC Depth Debate 31:05 Why the Big Ten’s Middle Class Deserves More Respect 32:57 Final Penn State, Oregon, and Indiana Takeaways