Penn State Football 2011: Nittany Lions' 5 Toughest Games

The 2008 and 2009 versions of Penn State football were the reemergence of Joe Paterno's teams as a national powerhouse. Both teams finished with 11 wins and the 2008 team went to the Rose Bowl.

Penn State lost a lot of talent from those teams and finished 7-6 overall in 2010 and just .500 in the conference. How will the Nittany Lions fare in the new-look Big Ten Conference? Will divisional play be a blessing in disguise?

Penn State has the ability to make some noise nationally with an experienced group returning to Happy Valley, but there will be some serious roadblocks standing in the way.

Here are the five toughest games for Penn State in 2011.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes, October 8

The Iowa Hawkeyes have always played the Penn State Nittany Lions tough and 2011 will be no different. Penn State should have a huge advantage in this game as it will be played in Happy Valley.

When Iowa comes to town you can always expect a team that is well coached by Kirk Ferentz. The highest-paid state employee in Iowa has proven to be a great investment for taxpayers.

Ricky Stanzi (who was seemingly at Iowa forever) is finally gone and the Hawkeyes, in all likelihood, will be forced to throw inexperienced James Vanderberg into the fire.

The running back position is another huge question mark, and deep-threat Johnson Koulianos has graduated from the wide receiving corps. A strong offensive line is a trademark of Kirk Ferentz's teams and don't expect that to change in 2011.

The defense will have to replace man-child Adrian Clayborn among others and the unit looks to be weaker than in 2010.

This should be a very winnable game for Penn State at home and the fans will be the difference against an inexperienced QB and running back.

Score: Penn State 24, Iowa 14

4. Ohio State Buckeyes, November 19

Many "experts" had this game chalked up as a loss for Penn State, but all hell has broken loose in Columbus and this has become a winnable game. Luke Fickell is now the man in charge at Ohio State and Heisman Trophy candidate Terrelle Pryor is headed for the NFL supplemental draft.

Say what you want about Jim Tressel, but he is (was?) one of the best coaches in the country, and he will be missed by the Ohio State faithful. The Nittany Lions will have to play this game on the road in what could potentially be a prime-time game.

Both teams will be experienced at this point and it will come down to which team can handle the pressure when the game is on the line. Not turning the ball over will be key in a game between the hated rivals.

I'll take a team coached by Joe Paterno over Luke Fickell any day.

Score: Penn State 20, Ohio State 17

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers, November 12

Penn State has a relatively easy schedule until the Nebraska Cornhuskers roll into town. This is another big game that will take place in Happy Valley, and it will be interesting to see how 'Huskers Nation can fill a stadium with their great fans.

Nebraska returns Heisman Trophy candidate Taylor Martinez to a roster that is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The Cornhuskers offensive line will be one of the biggest and most athletic in the conference.

The 'Huskers will undoubtedly put points on the board, but will they be able to stop Penn State's spread offense? Derrick Moye, Silas Redd and Co. think not.

The days of Nebraska facing an easy conference schedule are over. Penn State wins big in an upset.

Score: Penn State 35, Nebraska 21

2. Wisconsin Badgers, November 26

The last game of the season for Penn State has the potential to be its toughest. The Nittany Lions must travel to the hostile confines of Camp Randall Stadium to face the Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin seemingly always has the biggest and best offensive line in the conference (country?) every year, and it is loaded again up front in 2011. You know your team is loaded with running backs when Zach Brown decides to transfer to Pitt for more carries.

The addition of transfer QB Russell Wilson from NC State immediately makes the Badgers the favorite to win the first-ever Big Ten Conference Championship Game.

Wilson will give Wisconsin a dual-threat quarterback with a cannon for an arm, and he will make this offense more dominant than ever.

Wisconsin will still be known as a team that loves to pound the football, but the days of teams loading up the box are over with the arrival of Wilson. Penn State will have to play a near-perfect game to win this one.

Score: Wisconsin 34, Penn State 17

1. Alabama Crimson Tide, September 10

The game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Alabama Crimson Tide should be much closer this time around with the game in Happy Valley and a more experienced QB. Closer doesn't equate to a victory against the powerhouse from the SEC, however.

Trent Richardson is one of the best physical specimen's to emerge from the running back position in years. You can bet that he will give the linebackers from "Linebacker U" all they can handle and more.

Alabama may have lost Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones and Mark Ingram to the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, but the Crimson Tide will continue to "roll." Nick Saban's team looks to reload, not rebuild.

Happy Valley will be in an absolute frenzy for this game and that will allow the Nittany Lions to remain competitive for much of the game. Penn State will gain a ton of confidence from this game and it will use that confidence to contend for the Big Ten crown.

This one will be "closer than the expert's think," as Lee Corso would say.

Score: Alabama 24, Penn State 17