Penn State picked up another rise in the Week 2 US LBM Coaches Poll, climbing to No. 15 after a road win at Temple and some shakeup elsewhere across college football.
The Nittany Lions moved up one spot from No. 16 in Sunday afternoon’s release. Even with that jump, Penn State only gained a single spot because Tennessee vaulted from No. 18 to No. 14 and passed it in the voting.
At the top, Texas surged into No. 1 after its fourth-quarter comeback over then-No. 1 Ohio State, earning 42 first-place votes.
The Longhorns climbed two spots to take over the top line, while Ohio State tumbled five places to No. 6.
Georgia stayed put at No. 2, Notre Dame rose from No. 4 to No. 3, defending Big Ten and national champion Indiana moved up to No. 4, and Miami slid into No.
Penn State’s position also benefited from the collapse of a couple of teams above it. Oregon plunged from No. 6 to No. 18 after losing at Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma dropped from No. 10 to No. 21 after falling to Michigan.
Michigan, after nearly dropping out of the top 25 last week, checked in at No. 19.
The Nittany Lions are 2-0 after a 27-9 road win over Temple. Penn State started slowly on offense, going three straight possessions without a score, with all three drives ending in Temple territory.
From there, it strung together 27 unanswered points between the second and fourth quarters before the Owls scored late to trim the margin. Rocco Becht kept the offense moving by spreading the ball around, and the defense was in control for most of the day aside from a couple of Temple’s bigger plays.
Penn State returns home in Week 3 to face Buffalo. Kickoff is set for noon Eastern at Beaver Stadium, with the game scheduled to air on Big Ten Network.
Other Big Ten teams in this week’s poll are No. 11 USC, No.
20 Iowa and No. 24 Washington.
Virginia rounds out the top 25, while Florida fell out after being ranked No. 25 last week.
In Other News...
Former Penn State Departures Are Already Becoming A Virginia Tech Problem
Virginia Techs 44-21 win over Old Dominion came with a familiar Penn State flavor, and for the Nittany Lions fan base, it was the kind of reminder that departures can quickly become somebody elses gain. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, tight end Luke Reynolds and edge rushers Mylachi Williams and Cortez Harris all played major roles, giving the Hokies a boost on both sides of the ball as they handled business in the opener.
Grunkemeyer threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, while Reynolds put together career highs in catches, yards and scores, and Williams and Harris each piled up multiple tackles for loss and sacks. Penn State coach James Franklin had already pointed to the offensive matchup problems created by Reynolds and slot receiver QueSean Brown, and if Virginia Tech keeps getting that kind of production from former Nittany Lions, it is easy to see why this one may linger as more than a one-game storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Newcomers Are Already Becoming The Heart Of This Team
Penn States newest faces were impossible to miss in the win over Temple, and that is exactly the point of this roster overhaul. The 2026 group includes 40 transfer players, and several of them were already shaping the game in a 27-9 victory that looked a lot more like a team with established answers than one still sorting through fresh parts. Rocco Becht settled in at quarterback and Ben Brahmer made an immediate imprint at tight end, while other transfers popped up all over the field on both sides of the ball.
Becht completed 21 of 27 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, the kind of efficient debut that can change the tone of an entire offense. Brahmer added five catches for 78 yards and two scores, and the supporting cast of newcomers helped Penn State look deeper and more settled than a team still learning itself. The bigger question now is not whether the transfers can help, but how quickly this group can become the backbone of a season with higher ambitions still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States 2-0 Start Comes With One Big Defensive Concern
Penn States 2-0 start has the Nittany Lions moving up to No. 14 in the AP Top 25, and there was plenty else around the program to like over the weekend. The football team handled Temple in Week 2, the womens volleyball team swept Stanford, and several Penn State defenders earned Big Ten honors from Pro Football Focus, giving the athletic department a strong early-season snapshot across multiple sports.
The one concern hanging over the football side is a significant one. Head coach Matt Campbell said defensive end Max Granville suffered a season-ending injury, a blow that immediately changes the outlook for a defense that had just started to build momentum. Even with the ranking bump and the rest of the program stacking wins, Penn State now has to figure out how to absorb a major loss up front and keep the early surge on track. [Read more 🡒]