Penn State’s 3-4 start has left plenty of room for hand-wringing, but there is still a path through the last five games that doesn’t have to turn ugly. The Nittany Lions have lost three times by a combined 15 points, which is the kind of detail that can keep hope alive.
At the same time, the 34-13 loss at Northwestern on Oct. 2 is impossible to smooth over. Penn State was gashed for 413 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in that game, and that kind of collapse hangs over the rest of the season.
The next checkpoint is simple: do not lose to Purdue.
Penn State comes out of its bye week and hosts the Boilermakers on Oct. 31, and anything less than a win would open the door to a disastrous finish. A 3-9 season is not out of the question if the Lions trip there.
Purdue has beaten Illinois and Minnesota, but its defense has been leaky all year, ranking 123rd in FBS in points allowed per game at 32.3. The Boilermakers have given up 52 points to UCLA, 49 to Notre Dame and 38 at home to Washington on Oct.
From there, a 5-0 sprint is a long shot. But 4-1?
That feels like the more realistic conversation, and it would put 8-4 within reach with Purdue, Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland still on the schedule. Penn State gets Purdue, Minnesota and Rutgers at home, while Washington’s best win so far is a road victory at Purdue.
Minnesota looks like the sneaky difficult one in that group. The Gophers come to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 14, and P.J.
Fleck’s 4-2 team has already beaten Michigan and Washington. Minnesota will try to lean on the run, likely pounding away 35-40 times in an effort to wear down Penn State’s defense.
That means the Lions’ offensive line also gets a major test, especially against edge rusher Anthony Smith. The Minnesota star is a first-team All-Big Ten selection from last season and a former three-sport standout at Shippensburg High School.
The Gophers host No. 15 Iowa today, a game that could be tight.
As for Penn State’s top performers through seven games, the list has changed dramatically from what it would have looked like in September. In alphabetical order, the seven best Lions so far are CB Audavion Collins, CB Daryus Dixson, WR Koby Howard, LB Tony Rojas, WR Chase Sowell and S-Nickelback Zion Tracy.
Collins has been one of the best corners in the Big Ten. Dixson, a sophomore, has shown major talent and All-Big Ten potential.
Howard would have made the list after just one game, but he has missed Penn State’s last four with an undisclosed injury. Rojas has been the best player on the roster and leads the team with 56 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, while also adding two interceptions, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Sowell and center Brock Riker have been Penn State’s two best transfers. And teams have largely chosen to stay away from Collins and Tracy when the ball goes in the air.
You could be a Maryland fan.
In Other News...
Penn State May Be Facing Another Costly Recruiting Blow
Penn States 2027 recruiting class is already dealing with some turbulence, with quarterback Will Wood having flipped to Boston College and linebacker Blake Betton now reportedly weighing a change of heart toward Wisconsin. Betton, a three-star linebacker and one of the top prospects in Minnesota, committed to the Nittany Lions in April and recently made another trip to campus, keeping his recruitment in focus as the class continues to take shape.
For Penn State, the concern goes beyond one prospect. Geography can matter in these decisions, finances are part of the modern recruiting equation, and on-field performance at a position can shape how a player views his future fit. With linebacker always a priority in Happy Valley, the possibility of another de-commitment would be another reminder that keeping a class together can be just as challenging as building it in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Transfer Exodus Is Creating An Uncomfortable Reality
Penn States offseason turnover under Matt Campbell has already turned into a storyline that reaches far beyond Happy Valley. After 49 players entered the transfer portal, the ripple effect has been impossible to ignore, with several former Nittany Lions quickly becoming important pieces elsewhere. Twelve players ended up following former coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, while three more key departures landed with Jim Knowles at Tennessee, where the defense has climbed to ninth nationally.
The part that stings for Penn State is how many of those exits have translated into immediate production. Several former Lions are thriving at their new schools, including midseason All-Americans Xavier Gilliam and Luke Reynolds, a reminder that the talent leaving the program was not just depth or developmental pieces. For a roster already trying to settle under new leadership, the challenge is bigger than replacing bodies, because some of the departures are making their presence felt on a national stage. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Won A Recruiting Battle Ohio State Wanted
Penn State added a notable piece to its 2027 recruiting class when Jordan Hall, a three-star running back from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, announced his commitment. Hall had been on the radar of several programs after previously being pledged to Miami (OH), then backing off that decision as more Power 4 interest came his way. His new list included Missouri and Ohio State, which made his choice a meaningful one for the Nittany Lions.
For Penn State, landing Hall fits the kind of early recruiting win that can matter down the line, especially when a program beat out a Big Ten rival that had been in the mix. The Cincinnati native now gives the Lions a foothold in a recruiting battle Ohio State wanted, and it also signals that Penn States staff was able to turn a crowded, evolving recruitment into a commitment before the class has even really taken shape. [Read more 🡒]