Penn State’s first two weeks have given AP voters a simple problem: the Nittany Lions have looked good enough to stay put, but not sharp enough to climb.
After opening the season with a dominant Week 1 win over Marshall, Penn State moved from No. 18 in the preseason AP Poll to No. 16.
Then came Saturday’s 27-9 road victory, and while it pushed the Nittany Lions to 2-0, it also left plenty for voters to chew on. The defense stayed steady and firm, allowing just one touchdown in roughly 118 minutes over the first two games.
But on offense, Penn State kept running into the same kind of self-inflicted issues that can drag down an otherwise comfortable win.
That’s the tension here. The record is clean. The performances haven’t been.
Penn State had trouble in the red zone, and its late-down efficiency and urgency never really showed up. Those issues mattered more because the opponent, Temple, didn’t force the kind of pressure that should have made the Nittany Lions’ job harder. Instead, the game exposed the spots Penn State still hasn’t cleaned up, especially after a first half and first quarter that were marked by mistakes.
That’s why an AP bump feels unlikely this week. The Wolverines, who dropped out of the Top 25 completely before beating No.
10 Oklahoma, have a stronger case to move back in than Penn State does to move up. Even with a 2-0 start, the Nittany Lions’ showing against an AAC opponent probably isn’t enough to sway voters upward.
A spot in the 15-18 range still looks like the right neighborhood for Penn State right now, with a Week 6 matchup against USC looming as the first real chance to see how this team handles a truly competitive opponent. Ahead of Penn State at No. 15 is BYU, which beat Arizona 28-17 in Week 2, and that comparison doesn’t do the Nittany Lions any favors.
The most likely outcome is a slight slide rather than a rise, with Penn State predicted to land at No. 17.
If Saturday had brought a tougher opponent and the same kind of resilience, a move up would make sense. But the Nittany Lions spent the afternoon responding to their own mistakes instead of outlasting a team that could push them. So even with the wins piling up, the improvement voters are looking for still hasn’t really shown itself.
The updated AP Top 25 Poll will be released Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
How Penn States Most Iconic Chant Became Part Of Its Identity
Long before it became the kind of rallying cry that can shake Beaver Stadium, Penn States We Are chant started as a direct answer to what the cheer squad heard from Ohio State fans. In 1975-76, looking for something that could match a rivals famous rhythm and energy, the squad worked through the idea by trial and error until it felt right. By the time the Nittany Lions opened the 1976 season against Stanford, the chant was ready for the crowd.
What followed was bigger than a simple game-day gimmick. The line took hold, spread through the fan base and settled into the schools identity, turning into one of those traditions that feels as much a part of Penn State as the colors and the stadium itself. Even now, decades later, the chant still carries the same easy power it did when it was first introduced, a reminder that some of the most enduring college football customs begin as an attempt to keep up with somebody else. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Answered Early Mistakes But One Offensive Concern Remains
Penn State had every chance to let the first half get away at Lincoln Financial Field, but instead steadied itself quickly against Temple and went into halftime with a 10-3 lead. After shaking off the early adversity, the Nittany Lions answered with a field goal and a touchdown drive, giving their offense something to build on even as Temple made things uncomfortable in spots and kept Koby Howard in check after his initial long catch.
The bigger concern for Penn State was inside the red zone, where the ground game found some room but did not finish often enough. The Nittany Lions turned three chances into only one touchdown, leaving points on the field despite moving the ball well enough to create scoring opportunities. For a team trying to clean up its execution, that kind of inefficiency is the detail worth watching as the game moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Showed Exactly How Much Rocco Becht Already Means
Rocco Becht has become one of the defining reasons Penn State has settled in so quickly this season, and the reaction around him against Temple only reinforced it. When the quarterback was hit late out of bounds, his teammates and coaches were quick to step in and make their feelings clear, a flash of protectiveness that spoke as much about the locker room as it did about Bechts role in it.
Matt Campbell pointed to that response as a sign of the teams unity and togetherness, which has been a theme all year as Becht has looked sharper and healthier than he did during earlier injury-plagued stretches. His growth has given Penn State a steadier center of gravity on offense, and the way the group rallied around him in the moment suggested his value goes well beyond the stat sheet. [Read more 🡒]