Penn State’s football team is 2-0 and heading back to Beaver Stadium for its final non-conference game before the Big Ten grind begins, but Week 3 brings more than just Buffalo to Happy Valley.
The biggest spotlight off the field will fall on the 1986 national championship team. A large group from that squad, Penn State’s last team to win it all, is set to return for its 40th anniversary season and take part in a halftime ceremony.
The 1986 team finished 12-0 and capped that run with a 14-10 win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. With new head coach Matt Campbell making it a point to re-embrace the Joe Paterno era, the tribute fits right into that direction.
Campbell also spent part of his midweek availability focusing on Buffalo’s offense, despite Penn State entering the game as a 40.5-point favorite and having allowed just one touchdown through two games under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. He pointed specifically to Bulls receiver Chance Morrow, calling him a player with “elite talent” and an “elite catch radius” at 6-4 and 191 pounds.
Morrow has been Buffalo’s entire passing game so far. He leads the Bulls with 218 receiving yards and has scored all five of their offensive touchdowns. No other Buffalo player has more than 100 yards from scrimmage.
Penn State basketball also got its next season mapped out. The Big Ten released the men’s and women’s 2026-27 conference schedules on Wednesday night, and both Nittany Lion teams now know where league play starts. The men open Dec. 8 at home against Nebraska at the Bryce Jordan Center, while the women begin Dec. 6 at Michigan State’s Breslin Center in East Lansing.
For Mike Rhoades, the men’s schedule comes with 32 regular-season games in his fourth year leading the program, and he’s still chasing his first NCAA Tournament berth. On the women’s side, Tanisha Wright is set to begin her first season after being hired in March to replace Carolyn Kieger.
There’s also a busy stretch ahead for Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s volleyball team. The No.
9 Nittany Lions are 7-1 after their only loss, a 3-1 defeat to No. 3 Kentucky at Wrigley Field on September 6.
Since then, Penn State has won four straight and dropped just one set, including a sweep of No. 4 Stanford.
That run gets another test Friday against South Florida at Rec Hall to open the Penn State classic, followed by a Sunday matchup with No. 16 Tennessee to finish the non-conference schedule. Next Friday, Penn State heads to Michigan to open Big Ten play against the Wolverines, then plays Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday.
In Other News...
Penn State May Have Found A Bigger Weapon Than Fans Realized
Penn State has spent the first two weeks seeing Zay Robinson in a little bit of everything, and the early returns suggest the redshirt freshman transfer from Iowa State may be carving out a bigger role than many expected. In the 45-0 win over Marshall, Robinson broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown, adding another flash point to an opening stretch in which he has already made an impact as a receiver and on special teams.
Robinson has handled punts and kickoffs, caught several passes and lined up at multiple receiver spots, giving the Nittany Lions a versatile option who can change field position and help the offense in different ways. His growing role has drawn praise from teammates and coach Matt Campbell, and Penn State will keep watching to see just how far his expanded workload can go as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Has One Big Problem To Sort Out Before Wisconsin
Penn State has opened the season 2-0 and gets Buffalo before the schedule stiffens and Big Ten play begins, but the next step is as much about answers as it is about another win. The staff still has some sorting to do on the back end with its safety rotation, and there are fresh faces up front trying to settle into a run defense that will be tested more seriously once league play arrives.
The bigger issue, though, may be on offense, where the rushing game has not yet given the Nittany Lions the kind of reliable edge they want heading toward Wisconsin. Buffalo offers a useful checkpoint to see what works, what needs tweaking and how quickly Penn State can get its ground attack pointed in the right direction before the games start carrying more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State May Watch Ohio State Steal Another Early Recruiting Win
Jordan Halls recruitment has quickly become one to watch for Penn State, which was the first Power Four program to offer the Ohio running back after his decommitment from Miami (OH). The three-star prospect has drawn attention from both Penn State and Ohio State, giving the Nittany Lions an early opening in a class-building race that matters as much for the future of the backfield as it does for bragging rights.
Ohio State is now hosting Hall for a visit, and that has put Penn State in the familiar position of trying to hold off a regional power with deep ties in the state. For both programs, the interest goes beyond one player, since each is looking to secure running back help in its 2027 class, but the current momentum appears to favor the Buckeyes unless Penn State can change the conversation soon. [Read more 🡒]