Penn State kept moving in the right direction in the latest AP Top 25, climbing one spot to No. 13 in the poll released Sunday afternoon.
That bump comes on the heels of a dominant 55-13 win over Buffalo on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, a result that closed out the Nittany Lions’ non-conference slate at 3-0. It was Penn State’s most complete offensive showing of the season, with 573 total yards and 304 of them coming on the ground. Quarterback Rocco Becht passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and Koby Howard found the end zone twice.
The Big Ten had plenty of movement around Penn State, too. USC stayed at No. 12, just ahead of the Nittany Lions, while Indiana slipped one spot but remained in the top five at No.
- Ohio State also fell one place to No. 7 even after a blowout of Kent State.
Elsewhere in the conference, Iowa climbed to No. 17, Michigan moved up to No. 18 and Oregon rose one spot to No. 20.
At the top of the poll, Texas held onto No. 1, with Georgia and Notre Dame right behind it. Ole Miss made one of the biggest jumps of the week, moving up four spots to No. 4 after a 32-24 win over LSU.
Penn State now shifts into Big Ten play and will host Wisconsin on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions also have USC coming to town on Oct. 10 for the annual White Out, with the Trojans entering that matchup one spot ahead of Penn State in the rankings.
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 🡒]