Wk 2 · 2026

Penn State Nittany Lions at Temple Owls — Sat, Sep 12

Sat, Sep 12 · Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA · ESPN2 FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.

#16 Penn State Nittany Lions

Big Ten · 3-3

12:00pET

PSU -24.5 · total 49.5 DraftKings opened +21.5 · 3 toward PSU

Ratings differential PSU by 15.4

Temple Owls

American · 2-4

What is at stake

A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Penn State: +10.9#28

Efficiency margin

Temple: -6.9#96

Penn State: 35.3

Offense (pts/100)

Temple: 27.8

Penn State: 15.4

Defense (pts/100)

Temple: 25.8

Penn State: 65.2

Pace (plays/g)

Temple: 58.3

Penn State: 6.03

Yards / play

Temple: 6.41

Penn State: 5.12

Yards / play allowed

Temple: 6.11

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Penn State: 30.5

Points / game

Temple: 24.8

Penn State: 18.5

Points allowed

Temple: 26.3

Penn State: 393

Yards / game

Temple: 374

Penn State: 316

Yards allowed

Temple: 397

Penn State: 150

Pass yds allowed

Temple: 232

Penn State: 166

Rush yds allowed

Temple: 166

Penn State: 0.67

Turnovers / game

Temple: 1.00

From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Penn State form

L 23-31vs USCL 13-34at NUL 20-24vs WISW 55-13vs BUFW 27-9at TEM

2026 season

Temple form

L 20-34vs CONNW 17-13at USFL 17-21vs ARMYL 48-49at TOLL 9-27vs PSU

2026 season

Penn State this season

Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)

Over / under3-3 · 50% (6 games)

Temple this season

Straight up2-4 · 33% (6 games)

Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)

Over / under2-4 · 33% (6 games)

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 0

These teams share no opponents on the 2026 schedule.

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Penn State leads 10–1 · Penn State has won the last 2

11 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 17.6 points toward Penn State

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2026	2026-09-12	Penn State 27 — 9 Temple	at TEM	Penn State
2016	2016-09-17	Temple 27 — 34 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2015	2015-09-05	Penn State 10 — 27 Temple	at TEM	Temple
2014	2014-11-15	Temple 13 — 30 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2012	2012-09-22	Temple 13 — 24 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2011	2011-09-17	Penn State 14 — 10 Temple	at TEM	Penn State
2010	2010-09-25	Temple 13 — 22 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2009	2009-09-19	Temple 6 — 31 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2008	2008-09-20	Temple 3 — 45 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State
2007	2007-11-10	Penn State 31 — 0 Temple	at TEM	Penn State
2006	2006-11-11	Temple 0 — 47 Penn State	at PSU	Penn State

Penn State leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Rocco Becht QB #3	83/134, 1108 YDS, 10 TD, 3 INT
	Alex Manske QB #7	9/14, 102 YDS
Rushing	James Peoples RB #1	45 CAR, 212 YDS, 2 TD
	Carson Hansen RB #21	43 CAR, 199 YDS, 2 TD
	Quinton Martin Jr. RB #25	29 CAR, 158 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving	Koby Howard WR #6	12 REC, 344 YDS, 2 TD
	Chase Sowell WR #0	19 REC, 264 YDS, 2 TD
	Benjamin Brahmer TE #18	16 REC, 178 YDS, 3 TD
	Brett Eskildsen WR #4	15 REC, 128 YDS, 1 TD

Defense

Tackles	Tony Rojas LB #13	34
	Kooper Ebel LB #8	29
	Cael Brezina LB #9	20
Sacks	Tony Rojas LB #13	3
	Kooper Ebel LB #8	1
	Caleb Bacon LB #10	1
Interceptions	Tony Rojas LB #13	2
	Daryus Dixson CB #5	1
	Josiah Zayas CB #17	1

full roster and per-player history

Temple leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Ajani Sheppard QB #13	40/72, 631 YDS, 6 TD
	Jaxon Smolik QB #14	14/23, 116 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing	Keveun Mason RB #26	68 CAR, 361 YDS, 2 TD
	Ajani Sheppard QB #13	47 CAR, 234 YDS, 3 TD
	Samuel Brown V RB #5	25 CAR, 205 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving	Colin Chase WR #1	9 REC, 201 YDS, 2 TD
	Jayce Freeman WR #10	8 REC, 162 YDS, 1 TD
	Samuel Brown V RB #5	4 REC, 105 YDS, 2 TD
	JoJo Bermudez WR #17	12 REC, 99 YDS, 1 TD

Defense

Tackles	Curly Ordonez LB #33	50
	Saboor Karriem S #2	35
	Eric Stuart LB #8	23
Sacks	Jaylon Joseph LB #10	1
	Curly Ordonez LB #33	1
	Kevin Hornbeak Jr. DL #93	1
Interceptions	Tyree Alualu LB #44	1
	Jamarcus Pierre S #24	1

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.