Wk 4 · 2026
Wisconsin Badgers at Penn State Nittany Lions — Sat, Sep 26
Sat, Sep 26 ·
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
· Peacock 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.
at
5:00pET
PSU -10 · total 43.5 DraftKings opened -11.5 · 1.5 toward WIS
Ratings differential PSU by 3.4
What is at stake
A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the 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
Efficiency margin
Offense (pts/100)
Defense (pts/100)
Pace (plays/g)
Yards / play
Yards / play allowed
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
Points / game
Points allowed
Yards / game
Yards allowed
Pass yds allowed
Rush yds allowed
Turnovers / game
From completed 2026 box scores;
defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.
Wisconsin form
W 31-3vs MSUW 24-20at PSUW 54-10vs EMUW 36-9vs WIUL 13-41at ND
2026 season
Penn State form
L 23-31vs USCL 13-34at NUL 20-24vs WISW 55-13vs BUFW 27-9at TEM
2026 season
Wisconsin this season
Straight up4-1 · 80% (5 games)
Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Penn State this season
Straight up3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Against the spread2-4 · 33% (6 games)
Over / under3-3 · 50% (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 · 5
| Opponent | Wisconsin | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| USC Big Ten | vs Wk 8 · scheduled preview | vs L 23-31 preview |
| Rutgers Big Ten | vs Wk 10 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
| Maryland Big Ten | at Wk 11 · scheduled preview | at Wk 13 · scheduled preview |
| Purdue Big Ten | at Wk 12 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 9 · scheduled preview |
| Minnesota Big Ten | vs Wk 13 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Penn State leads 8–3 · Wisconsin won the last one
11 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
6.4 points toward Penn State
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-09-26 | Wisconsin 24 — 20 Penn State | at PSU | Wisconsin |
| 2024 | 2024-10-26 | Penn State 28 — 13 Wisconsin | at WIS | Penn State |
| 2021 | 2021-09-04 | Penn State 16 — 10 Wisconsin | at WIS | Penn State |
| 2018 | 2018-11-10 | Wisconsin 10 — 22 Penn State | at PSU | Penn State |
| 2016 | 2016-12-03 | Wisconsin 31 — 38 Penn State | neutral | Penn State |
| 2013 | 2013-11-30 | Penn State 31 — 24 Wisconsin | at WIS | Penn State |
| 2012 | 2012-11-24 | Wisconsin 21 — 24 Penn State | at PSU | Penn State |
| 2011 | 2011-11-26 | Penn State 7 — 45 Wisconsin | at WIS | Wisconsin |
| 2008 | 2008-10-11 | Penn State 48 — 7 Wisconsin | at WIS | Penn State |
| 2007 | 2007-10-13 | Wisconsin 7 — 38 Penn State | at PSU | Penn State |
| 2006 | 2006-11-04 | Penn State 3 — 13 Wisconsin | at WIS | Wisconsin |
Wisconsin leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Colton Joseph QB #1 | 81/143, 1132 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT |
| Rushing | Colton Joseph QB #1 | 51 CAR, 262 YDS, 3 TD |
| Darrion Dupree RB #6 | 43 CAR, 195 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Abu Sama III RB #3 | 28 CAR, 190 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tyrell Henry WR #0 | 26 REC, 339 YDS, 1 TD |
| Jacob Harris TE #89 | 13 REC, 238 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Chris Brooks Jr. WR #2 | 11 REC, 194 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Malachi Coleman WR #4 | 5 REC, 122 YDS, 2 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Cooper Catalano LB #44 | 45 |
| Mason Posa LB #8 | 40 | |
| Matthew Jung S #29 | 32 | |
| Sacks | Sebastian Cheeks LB #15 | 2.5 |
| Hammond Russell IV DL #91 | 1.5 | |
| Charles Perkins DL #30 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Charles Perkins DL #30 | 1 |
| Mason Posa LB #8 | 1 | |
| Matthew Jung S #29 | 1 |
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 |
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.