Penn State Football
Penn State is an NCAA Division I FBS football program in the Big Ten, based in University Park, PA. The 2026 record stands at 4-4. The Cooper Predictor rates Penn State at +11.2, No. 28 of 138 FBS teams and No. 9 of 18 in the Big Ten. The model projects an 8-4 finish, with CFP Odds of 0.2%. The model's pre-game picks are 4-4 in Penn State games this season. Most recent result: beat Purdue 31-17 on Oct 31. Next up: at Washington on Nov 7 — the model projects Penn State 27-24, giving Penn State a 51% chance to win.
Open Penn State in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FBS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | vs Marshall | W 42-17 93% ✓ | W 45-0 |
| Sep 12 | @ Temple | W 41-17 92% ✓ | W 27-9 |
| Sep 19 | vs Buffalo | W 45-10 97% ✓ | W 55-13 |
| Sep 26 | vs Wisconsin | W 34-17 85% ✗ | L 20-24 |
| Oct 2 | @ Northwestern | W 27-24 56% ✗ | L 13-34 |
| Oct 10 | vs USC | W 34-28 61% ✗ | L 23-31 |
| Oct 17 | @ Michigan | W 24-21 53% ✗ | L 18-21 |
| Oct 31 | vs Purdue | W 38-24 80% ✓ | W 31-17 |
| Nov 7 | @ Washington | W 27-24 51% | — |
| Nov 13 | vs Minnesota | W 28-20 77% | — |
| Nov 20 | vs Rutgers | W 41-21 87% | — |
| Nov 27 | @ Maryland | W 34-21 76% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Penn State's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
Big Ten by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ohio State | 6-2 | +23.5 |
| 2 |  Indiana | 8-1 | +21.1 |
| 3 |  Oregon | 5-3 | +17.3 |
| 4 |  Iowa | 6-2 | +14.5 |
| 5 |  USC | 7-2 | +12.6 |
| 6 |  Nebraska | 5-3 | +12.1 |
| 7 |  UCLA | 8-0 | +12 |
| 8 |  Northwestern | 6-2 | +11.5 |
| 9 | Penn State | 4-4 | +11.2 |
| 10 |  Washington | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 11 |  Wisconsin | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 12 |  Michigan | 5-3 | +7.5 |
| 13 |  Illinois | 5-3 | +6.8 |
| 14 |  Minnesota | 5-3 | +3 |
| 15 |  Purdue | 3-5 | +1.1 |
| 16 |  Michigan State | 2-6 | +1.1 |
| 17 |  Maryland | 2-6 | -2.4 |
| 18 |  Rutgers | 2-6 | -3.8 |
High schools on the Penn State roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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