Penn State
4–4 · 1–4 Big Ten · Matt Campbell, 1st season
Beat Purdue 31–17, Oct 31 · Next: at Washington, Sat, Nov 7 · analysis
Best by position: quarterbacks · running backs · wide receivers · tight ends · defenders · kickers · punters
Against the closing line
Penn State has beaten the line in 2 of its last 4, 6.1 points a game under it. Over the season it’s 2.5 a game under, 97th of 136.
Of the 10 teams at 4–4 against a schedule this hard, Penn State’s −2.5 is 10th.
last 4
−6.1
before
+1.1
-20020
Oct 2, 2026 @ Northwestern −24.0
Oct 10, 2026 vs USC −7.5
Oct 17, 2026 @ Michigan +3.0
Oct 31, 2026 vs Purdue +4.0
Lately
- Beat 7 of its last 10 unranked opponentscount
Nov 22, 2025 vs Nebraska +27
Nov 29, 2025 @ Rutgers +4
Dec 27, 2025 vs Clemson +12
Sep 5 vs Marshall +45
Sep 12 @ Temple +18
Sep 19 vs Buffalo +42
Sep 26 vs Wisconsin −4- Oct 2 @ Northwestern −21
- Oct 17 @ Michigan −3
- Oct 31 vs Purdue +14
- Won 6 of its last 10count
- Nov 29, 2025 @ Rutgers +4
- Dec 27, 2025 vs Clemson +12
- Sep 5 vs Marshall +45
- Sep 12 @ Temple +18
- Sep 19 vs Buffalo +42
- Sep 26 vs Wisconsin −4
- Oct 2 @ Northwestern −21
- Oct 10 vs USC −8
- Oct 17 @ Michigan −3
- Oct 31 vs Purdue +14
- Covered 5 of its last 10count
- Nov 29, 2025 @ Rutgers −10
- Dec 27, 2025 vs Clemson +14.5
- Sep 5 vs Marshall +22
- Sep 12 @ Temple −6.5
- Sep 19 vs Buffalo +2.5
- Sep 26 vs Wisconsin −13.5
- Oct 2 @ Northwestern −24
- Oct 10 vs USC −7.5
- Oct 17 @ Michigan +3
- Oct 31 vs Purdue +4
Against expected,
| a game | offense | defense |
|---|---|---|
| Points | +2.9 · 45th | −6.1 · 31st |
| Total yards | +22 · 49th | −68 · 15th |
| Touchdowns | +0.5 · 45th | −0.6 · 32nd |
| Passing efficiency | +12.2 · 39th | −37.6 · 2nd |
| 3rd downs | −4.4% · 100th | −12.2% · 3rd |
| Turnovers | −0.3 · 27th | +0.4 · 20th |
| Sacks | −0.2 · 60th | −1.0 · 117th |
| Penalty yards | −9.8 · 33rd |
Over (+) or under (−) what its opponents usually allow, a game, and where that stands among 136 teams, the best first. Lit is the top ten or the bottom ten. Penalty yards read against the league’s mean, since nobody allows them.
Seasons
- 2026 4–4
- 2025 7–6
- 2024 13–3
- 2023 10–3
- 2022 11–2
- 2021 7–6
- 2020 4–5
- 2019 11–2
- 2018 9–4
- 2017 11–2
- 2016 11–3
- 2015 7–6
- 2014 7–6
- 2013 7–5
- 2012 8–4
- 2011 9–4
- 2010 7–6
- 2009 11–2
- 2008 11–2
- 2007 9–4
- 2006 9–4
- 2005 11–1
- 2004 4–7
- 2003 3–9
- 2002 9–4
- 2001 5–6
- 2000 5–7
- 1999 10–3
- 1998 9–3
- 1997 9–3
- 1996 11–2
- 1995 9–3
- 1994 12–0
- 1993 10–2
- 1992 7–5
- 1991 11–2
- 1990 9–3
- 1989 8–3–1
- 1988 5–6
- 1987 8–4
- 1986 12–0
- 1985 11–1
- 1984 6–5
- 1983 8–4–1
- 1982 11–1
- 1981 10–2
- 1980 10–2
- 1979 8–4
- 1978 11–1
- 1977 11–1
- 1976 7–5
- 1975 9–3
- 1974 10–2
- 1973 12–0
- 1972 10–2
- 1971 11–1
- 1970 7–3
- 1969 11–0
- 1968 11–0
- 1967 8–2–1
- 1966 5–5
- 1965 5–5
- 1964 6–4
- 1963 7–3
- 1962 9–2
- 1961 8–3
- 1960 7–3
- 1959 9–2
- 1958 6–3–1
- 1957 6–3
- 1956 6–2–1
- 1955 5–4
- 1954 7–2
- 1953 6–3
- 1952 7–2–1
- 1951 5–4
- 1950 5–3–1
- 1949 5–4
- 1948 7–1–1
- 1947 9–0–1
- 1946 6–2
- 1945 5–3
- 1944 6–3
- 1943 5–3–1
- 1942 6–1–1
- 1941 7–2
- 1940 6–1–1
- 1939 5–1–2
- 1938 3–4–1
- 1937 5–3
- 1936 3–5
- 1935 4–4
- 1934 4–4
- 1933 3–3–1
- 1932 2–5
- 1931 2–8
- 1930 3–4–2
- 1929 6–3
- 1928 3–5–1
- 1927 6–2–1
- 1926 5–4
- 1925 4–4–1
- 1924 6–3–1
- 1923 6–2–1
- 1922 6–4–1
- 1921 8–0–2
- 1920 7–0–2
- 1919 7–1
- 1918 1–2–1
- 1917 5–4
- 1916 8–2
- 1915 7–2
- 1914 5–3–1
- 1913 2–6
- 1912 8–0
- 1911 8–0–1
- 1910 5–2–1
- 1909 5–0–2
- 1908 5–5
- 1907 6–4
- 1906 8–1–1
- 1905 8–3
- 1904 6–4
- 1903 5–3
- 1902 7–3
- 1901 5–3
- 1900 4–6–1
- 1899 4–6–1
- 1898 6–4
- 1897 3–6
- 1896 3–4
- 1891 5–2
- 1889 2–2
Method
- Against the line is each game’s points of margin less what the closing line expected, from College Football Streak King’s lines. A game nobody lined sits out, and a push hasn’t beaten it. Lately is the last 4 games with one.
- A schedule this hard means the mean rating of the opponents it’s played is within 5.2 points of the team’s, two thirds of a standard deviation of the league’s schedules, and a rating is what the season’s games say about a team’s margin against an average team. The teams beside it have its record.
- Against expected is each game against what the opponent usually gave up in its other games, with half the home edge, averaged. A game against a team with no other game here sits out.
- Passing efficiency is the NCAA’s passer rating. Turnovers on offense are the ones it lost, and on defense the ones it forced. Sacks on offense are the ones its quarterbacks took, and they start in 2024.