Show notes
Curt Cignetti took direct aim at the SEC during Big Ten Media Days, and his comments immediately reignited the Big Ten-versus-SEC debate. Locked On Hoosiers host Jacob Goins joins the show from Chicago to discuss Cignetti’s message, Matt Campbell’s first Big Ten Media Days appearance and why people around the conference are buying Penn State football as a College Football Playoff contender in 2026.
The conversation covers Cignetti’s emergence as a voice for the Big Ten, the SEC’s move to a nine-game conference schedule, Matt Campbell’s restrained podium performance and the outside perception of his first Penn State team. Zach and Jacob also examine Penn State’s retained roster, the players who followed Campbell from Iowa State, the favorable 2026 schedule, the key games against USC and Michigan and whether the Nittany Lions could realistically finish 10-2, 11-1 or even make an undefeated run.
Penn State has a legitimate path to the College Football Playoff, but that path creates another question: Will the Nittany Lions be prepared to defeat an elite opponent after avoiding Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana during the regular season? The episode also examines Oregon’s status as the Big Ten favorite, the pressure facing USC and where Penn State belongs in the conference hierarchy.
Do you believe Penn State is a real Big Ten and playoff contender in Matt Campbell’s first season, or is the favorable schedule creating too much optimism? Leave your record prediction and the game that concerns you most.
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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0:00 Intro
1:00 Curt Cignetti Calls Out the SEC
2:35 Why Cignetti Is Becoming the Big Ten’s Voice
5:00 Big Ten vs. SEC Schedule Debate
7:09 Matt Campbell Preview and Sponsor Break
12:14 Honest Matt Campbell Media Days Assessment
14:12 Penn State’s Realistic 2026 Ceiling
15:19 Could Penn State Be Exposed in the Playoff?
16:58 Big Ten Teams to Buy or Sell
18:25 Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana and USC Outlook
19:21 Final Big Ten Media Days Takeaways Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.