What Penn State's Coaches Poll Ranking Says About the Nittany Lions

Penn State spent training camp in 2025 preparing to defend its No. 3 ranking in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions finished the season in the How Far They've Fallen Bowl, defeating Clemson (preseason No. 6) in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

This year's Nittany Lions have more muted expectations to chase. Penn State is ranked No. 17 in the preseason Coaches Poll released Aug. 4, exactly one year after the 2025 poll made Penn State a national-championship contender.

The first major preseason poll offered a glimpse into how the coaches (or whoever votes for them) view this new iteration of Penn State under head coach Matt Campbell. Here's what to take from Penn State's No. 17 ranking.

The Nittany Lions are not viewed as a Big Ten contender

The 2026 College Football Preseason Coaches Poll 🚨

Who is ranked too high? Who is ranked too low? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/we8D0ueCLM
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 4, 2026

Penn State began the sharp decline in votes on the back half of the poll. The Nittany Lions received 463 total points in the voting, well behind 16th-ranked Michigan (719). Penn State is sixth among the eight Big Ten teams in the top 25.

There's good reason for that. The Nittany Lions are breaking in a fairly new roster. Campbell brought in 55 new players, including 40 from the transfer portal. Campbell imported 24 transfers from his 2025 Iowa State roster that went 8-4, albeit with a significant number of injuries.

Many of those transfers will play key roles for the Nittany Lions this season. As many as 15 could earn starting jobs for Penn State's Sept. 5 opener against Marshall at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State is a tough read in 2026

Penn State Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell speaks during Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nittany Lions have had some unconventional seasons but none like this. More than half the roster is new, and Campbell has just a month to turn a variety of parts into a cohesive whole to face Marshall. One national analyst called Penn State's season "seemingly impossible" to predict. Even Campbell is unsure how it will go at the beginning.

"The reality from our end of it is, every step of the way we were thinking about how we can build the best roster to be our best," Campbell said. "I think we grew immensely through the first 16 weeks of our time with this football team. But are we ready? Are we capable? We had a lot of injuries, and a lot of guys didn't practice this spring, so did we gain real momentum?

"I think this is a team that, if it’s going to reach its full potential, it's going to have to be able to be its best. Sometimes being your best is being a little lucky with injuries, being groomed to be its best physically and play its best in critical moments. I think those things are still out there. Like, what kind of team are we really? I think fall camp will tell us a lot more about who we are and where we're at."

But there's always the schedule

Penn State Nittany Lions football players pose for a team photo during the 23rd annual Lift for Life at Holuba Hall. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Coaches Poll also underscored what kind of break Penn State got with its 2026 schedule. Ohio State and Oregon are ranked 1-2 in the preseason poll, while defending national champion Indiana is No. 6. Penn State plays none of those teams during the regular season.

The highest-ranked team on Penn State's schedule is No. 14 USC, which visits the Nittany Lions on Oct. 10 for the likely White Out. The Nittany Lions do face Michigan and No. 19 Washington on the road.

However, according to Phil Steele, Penn State statistically has one of the easier schedules in the nation. Notably, the Nittany Lions do not face a team during the regular season that won 10 games in 2025.

Penn State opens training camp Aug. 5.

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