Penn State kept climbing in the AP Top 25 after a convincing 55-13 win over Buffalo, moving up to No. 13 in the newest Associated Press College Football Poll released Sunday afternoon.
The Nittany Lions entered the weekend at No. 14 and, after closing non-conference play at 3-0, gained another spot in the national rankings. They opened the season at No. 18, so the rise has been steady through the first three games.
Penn State picked up 850 points in the voting, leaving it 57 points behind No. 12 USC and 24 points ahead of No.
14 Tennessee.
Penn State was also slotted at No. 14 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll released earlier Sunday.
At the top of the AP poll, Texas sits at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Indiana. Miami, Ohio State, Alabama, BYU and LSU fill out the top 10.
The Big Ten has a strong footprint in the rankings. Along with Penn State, the conference includes No.
5 Indiana, No. 7 Ohio State, No.
12 USC, No. 17 Iowa, No.
18 Michigan and No. 20 Oregon.
Washington, UCLA and Nebraska were among the teams receiving votes.
Penn State’s first two ranked games on the schedule are coming soon: USC visits on Oct. 10, and the Nittany Lions head to Michigan on Oct. 17.
Through three games, Penn State’s offense has piled up 492 yards per game and 7.4 yards per play, while the defense is allowing 201 yards per game and 3.5 yards per play.
Quarterback Rocco Becht has completed 45 of 64 passes for 751 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. Wide receiver Koby Howard has been his top weapon so far, catching 12 passes for 344 yards and three total touchdowns. Tight end Ben Brahmer leads the team with three receiving scores on seven catches for 97 yards, and Chase Sowell has added eight receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Carson Hansen leads the way with 35 carries for 169 yards and one touchdown. Quinton Martin Jr. boosted his numbers after a 10-carry, 100-yard outing against Buffalo and now has 20 carries for 138 yards and one score. James Peoples has 132 rushing yards, and Cam Wallace has 121.
Defensively, Tony Rojas leads the team with 16 tackles. Caleb Bacon has a team-high three tackles for loss, while Yvan Kemajou, Josiah Zayas and Rojas each have two. Rojas, Kemajou, Bacon and Kooper Ebel have one sack apiece.
Penn State opens Big Ten play against Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 26.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET, with the game streamed on Peacock and televised on NBC Sports Network.
In Other News...
Penn State Already Has A New QB Question Fans Can't Ignore
Penn States non-conference tune-up slate against Marshall, Temple and Buffalo did not leave the quarterback picture any clearer, even with Rocco Becht opening all three games. The starter showed he can push the ball downfield, but the offense never got fully settled with him, and the red zone remains a problem area the staff still has to sort through.
Redshirt freshman Alex Manske also got his chances, and he looked capable enough to keep the conversation going with a handful of accurate throws and a few near completions that hinted at more upside. Connor Barry even saw the field, which only added to the sense that this is more than a one-man evaluation, and Manske appears to be positioning himself as the name to watch when Penn State starts thinking about next year. [Read more 🡒]
Bill OBrien Just Added Weight To Penn States Matt Campbell Bet
Bill OBriens take carried a little extra weight because he knows both sides of this equation. The former Penn State head coach, now at Boston College, publicly backed Matt Campbell as the Nittany Lions new leader, praising the hire and pointing to the scale of the job in State College. OBrien has lived the pressure and the expectations that come with that chair, so his approval is the kind of detail Penn State fans notice.
Campbell also has a small connection point through one of his past staffing moves, having hired a former Boston College assistant. Its another reminder that big college football decisions are rarely made in a vacuum, and Penn States new coach is stepping into a job with real history attached to it. OBriens endorsement does not settle every question, but it does add another layer to the early read on how Campbell fits the role. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Suddenly Has A Backfield Question Fans Will Notice
Quinton Martin Jr. was back in the conversation against Buffalo after sitting out Penn States game against Temple, and the change did not happen by accident. The young back responded by putting in the work on the practice field, caught the attention of coach Matt Campbell, and then earned meaningful snaps when the Nittany Lions got another look at their rotation. His payoff came with 10 carries for 100 yards, a strong reminder that opportunities in the backfield can come quickly when a player keeps pressing.
Martin has also drawn notice from teammates, which matters in a room where every rep is evaluated closely. The bigger question now is how Penn State sorts out those carries going forward, especially with Martin making it clear he wants to keep improving and force his way into more playing time. For a team still shaping its backfield pecking order, his response to one missed game has only made the next decisions more interesting. [Read more 🡒]