No. 18 Penn State football's 45-0 victory over Marshall on Saturday gave fans a lot to be excited about, and rightfully so. After a 2025 season that just met the bare minimum of finishing 6-6 in the regular season, a dominant showing in head coach Matt Campbell's debut is the flip to the next chapter that's been long awaited.
Campbell put a lot of Nittany Lions out on the field, and a 24-0 lead at halftime that extended to 31-0 after their first possession of the third quarter allowed backups and third-stringers to get some live reps in.
Quarterback Rocco Becht and wide receiver Koby Howard was a consistent connection and also a reminder that Penn State is dedicated to improving its receiver room under Campbell's leadership. Becht was 13-of-18 for 271 yards and four touchdowns; Howard had six receptions for 161 yards and one score.
On defense, linebackers Kooper Ebel (three tackles, one pass defended, half-tackle for loss) and Tony Rojas (team-leading seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack) proved themselves as the right starting duo at that position. Linebacker turned defensive end Caleb Bacon was a monster at applying pressure on quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and had six tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack on Saturday.
Positive vibes were everywhere from on the field to the sidelines to the crowd to Campbell's postgame press conference, but a victory over Sun Belt Conference's Marshall isn't enough to sell Penn State to everyone.
The AP Top 25 is delayed this week and will go live on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. ET with the updated and first regular season rankings of 2026.
As we wait for the remainder of Week 1 games to wrap up, let's take a look at what we can expect from the Nittany Lions' placement.
No. 18 Penn State can expect to stay put were it is in the AP Top 25 Poll
Penn State started off the season as the No. 18 team in the country, and it can be expected to stay that way. The blue and white's dominant performance over the Thundering Herd is a fantastic start to Campbell's tenure and shows a ton of promise for what this team can do down the line of the season.
The AP Poll, though, isn't based on promise. It's based on results.
Penn State beating Marshall was expected, and so was having a great performance at that. Shutting out a team and having a very clean game is what helped the Nittany Lions exceed expectations, but that's not enough to push them up the rankings. If they do move, don't expect it to be by much.
That can even go a step further. Don't expect a lot of positive movement from the Nittany Lions in the AP Poll until Big Ten play. Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo aren't evenly-matched teams. The only way we see any significant changes in rankings is if Penn State loses one of its next two matchups.
That's not a knock on Campbell, Becht, and the rest of the Nittany Lions or how well they played on Saturday. It's just the reality of these rankings, but good things come to those who wait.
Besides, we saw what happened when all eyes were on the Nittany Lions. The energy from the Week 1 win can carry over into the next game, but it doesn't need to be reflected in the poll just yet. It's better if Penn State hangs in the back for now.
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