Penn State’s Week 4 meeting with Wisconsin should have felt like one of those games that shapes the Big Ten race. Instead, it’s been pushed into a 5:00 p.m. ET kickoff on Peacock, a placement that does little for what could be a revealing early-season matchup.
That game arrives after Penn State’s unusually soft start to 2026. The Nittany Lions open with three non-conference games against Group of Six opponents, and only Buffalo remains before the schedule finally tightens with Wisconsin’s visit to Beaver Stadium in Week 4.
There’s plenty riding on it inside the conference. Penn State looks like it has a path toward the top of the Big Ten with Oregon’s struggles, Ohio State’s Week 2 loss to Texas, and its own manageable schedule. At the same time, Wisconsin’s offseason upgrades could prove real, giving Luke Fickell’s program a chance to move back into the league’s middle tier.
The game also marks Matt Campbell’s first Big Ten contest, which is part of why the kickoff time feels off. It’s the first real measuring stick for the new-look Nittany Lions, and by the way this matchup has been slotted, it’s not getting the attention it merits.
The Big Ten’s biggest spotlight in Week 4 belongs to Oregon’s trip to USC, which will air on NBC in prime time. Big Noon Kickoff is headed to Columbus for Ohio State’s home opener against Illinois, and CBS has Iowa at Michigan in the mid-afternoon window. Those are the games getting the marquee treatment.
It’s hard to argue too strongly with that hierarchy, especially given Wisconsin’s recent struggles. The look-ahead line for Penn State-Wisconsin has the Nittany Lions as 5.5-point favorites at home, while Ohio State is expected to be a two-touchdown favorite over Illinois.
That spread gap tells its own story. It reflects how sportsbooks and power-rating systems see the two teams, and it also underscores the different levels of national trust around the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State, even after the loss to Texas, is still viewed as a legitimate title threat. Penn State, meanwhile, enters with plenty of uncertainty after a major offseason overhaul.
Still, Campbell’s arrival in the Big Ten should carry some weight. He spent 10 years at Iowa State and arrives with a reputation as a respected head coach. If the Wisconsin game is expected to be competitive, there’s a strong case that it deserves more than a late-afternoon slot and a Peacock-only audience.
It may sound like sour grapes, and maybe it is. Ohio State and Michigan are bigger national draws, and that reality shapes where games land. But even with that in mind, Penn State and Wisconsin feels like a matchup that could have been placed somewhere better than the back end of the afternoon slate.
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 🡒]