Penn State’s College Football Playoff hopes are all but gone after the White Out loss to USC, and the bowl picture is starting to come into focus.
The 31-23 defeat left the Nittany Lions staring at a season that looks far less like a playoff chase and far more like a fight to simply reach six wins. The chance to bounce back from adversity and ride a manageable Big Ten path disappeared with the loss, and the season’s lack of a clear identity continues to hang over the program.
ESPN’s Football Power Index now gives Penn State a 0 percent shot at reaching the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions still have a 15.3 percent chance to win out from here, up from roughly 11 percent, but ESPN also lists them at 0.0 percent to make the national title game.
The Athletic’s view has shifted just as sharply. After projecting Penn State as a No. 8 through No. 11 seed during the first three weeks of the season, the outlet now has the Nittany Lions at less than 1 percent to make the playoff.
If the postseason is going to mean something for Penn State, it may have to come through a non-playoff bowl. Sports Illustrated projects the Nittany Lions to Tampa for a New Year’s Eve meeting with Florida in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
CBS Sports has Penn State headed to Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where the opponent would be Virginia Tech and a familiar collection of names: James Franklin, Ethan Grunkemeyer, Luke Reynolds and the rest of Virginia Tech’s roster.
In Other News...
West Virginia Just Got A Brutal Early 2026 Forecast
West Virginias long view for 2026 is not exactly flattering, at least not according to ESPNs Football Power Index. The model sees a season that lands around 4.4 wins and 7.6 losses, with the Mountaineers carrying only a 14.6% shot at getting to six wins, the kind of benchmark that often defines whether a year feels salvageable or disappointing.
The rest of the forecast is even more sobering, with the Big 12 title race and the College Football Playoff both showing negligible odds in the projection. ESPNs game-by-game breakdown and historical matchup context offer a more granular look at how the season could unfold, but the overall picture is clear enough: this is a schedule that is already being treated like an uphill climb long before the first snap of 2026. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fans Finally Get Their First Look At These New-Look Rosters
West Virginia fans will get their first real glimpse of the new basketball seasons on October 15, when the Mountaineers host Ballin at Woodburn at Woodburn Circle. The event is set up as more than a simple roll call, with team introductions, player appearances, a DJ, food trucks, competitions, interviews and performances all part of the evening before a 30-minute autograph session wraps things up.
It also gives supporters a chance to size up a roster that will look different on both sides, with transfers and freshmen joining the mens and womens teams. For a fan base that likes to know what kind of group is taking shape before the season arrives, this is the first chance to see the new pieces together in one place. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Offense Did Enough But One Problem Is Getting Hard To Ignore
West Virginias offense did enough to keep the game in sight against Arizona, piling up more than 500 yards in a 52-31 loss that will sting for reasons beyond the final score. It was the fourth time in program history the Mountaineers came away empty despite producing that kind of volume, a reminder that yardage alone does not guarantee control of a game when the other side keeps finding answers.
Pro Football Focus grades from the game pointed to the parts of the roster that made the result hard to ignore, especially on defense, where the line and cornerback play stood out for the wrong reasons. There were also issues among the wide receivers, leaving West Virginia with plenty to sort through even after an afternoon when the offense moved the ball well enough to win in a different kind of performance. [Read more 🡒]