Where Penn State ranks in On3's way-too-early top 25 for 2026 season
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With the book officially closed on the 2025 college football season and a new national champion having been crowned, it is now time to shift our focus to the 2026 college football season. It’s never too early for that, right? As is typically the case when the season comes to a close, the tradition of way-too-early top-25 projections are making the rounds already, and one of the more interesting teams to scout on these lists will be Penn State.
Following a program-changing 2025 season with an in-season coaching change and the hiring of Matt Campbell to steer the ship back on course, and with a massive offseason roster overhaul as a result, Penn State may be a difficult team for many to accurately project in the 2026 season. But that will not stop anyone from attempting to gauge where the Nittany Lions will be sitting next season. If one way-too-early top-25 list from On3 is any indication, Penn State could be on the College Football Playoff bubble next fall.
On3 released its way-too-early top-25 list and gave Penn State a No. 14 projection. Putting Penn State somewhere in the middle of any top-25 projection feels somewhat fair given the changes wiht the program and puts some trust in Campbell to turn things around from Penn State’s 2025 season. It also feels like a pretty safe projection to suggest Penn State could be in the playoff hunt but may fall just outside of it.
Ohio State tops the On3 top-25 outlook, followed by Georgia, Texas, and Notre Dame, respectively. 2025 national champion Indiana takes the No. 5 slot in the On3 way-too-early top-25, with Oregon right behind the Hoosiers to give the Big Ten three top-10 teams in this projection. Michigan is the only other Big Ten team ranked ahead of Penn State, at No. 11.
Other Big Ten teams ranked in On3’s early projection are Washington (No. 18), USC (No. 19), and Iowa (No. 21). Penn State will play road games next season at Michigan and Washington and will host USC. The Nittany Lions will not face Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon during the regular season in 2026. Also of note, On3 also ranks Virginia Tech, now coached by former Penn State head coach James Franklin, at No. 23.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Where Penn State ranks in On3’s way-too-early top 25 for 2026 season
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