Preseason: PSU was named the team to beat in the B1G. #2/3 in the Polls.
- Top 10 talent
- Had a still-well-paid coach
- Signed a Defensive Coordinator to largest contract of any CFB assistant
Currently: winless in conference.
- But, 5 plays away from being 8-1 and a top 5 team.
- (they are many many many plays away from being 9-0, OSU had a field day)
- Nearly had the biggest quality win in conference, inches from besting Indiana.
So, is Penn State a quality win for OSU? According to SP+ rankings, yes it is. In fact, Penn State is THE BEST winless in conference team in CFB and it's not even close.
PSU is 20th in S&P betwixt 6-3 Missouri and Washington.
- OSU counts at Washington as a quality win
- Missouri was the last team to beat OSU in the postseason
| Team | Conf | Record | Conf Rec | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | B1G | 3-6 | 0-6 | 20 |
| Arkansas | SEC | 2-7 | 0-5 | 38 |
| Mich St. | B1G | 3-6 | 0-6 | 76 |
| Purdue | B1G | 2-8 | 0-7 | 84 |
| Texas St. | Sun Belt | 3-9 | 0-5 | 98 |
| Boston College | ACC | 1-9 | 0-6 | 110 |
| Tulsa | American | 2-7 | 0-6 | 119 |
| Okla St. | Big 12 | 1-8 | 0-6 | 126 |
| Nevada | Mtn West | 1-8 | 0-5 | 128 |
| Mid. Tenn St. | Conf USA | 1-8 | 0-5 | 131 |
| Georgia St. | Sun Belt | 3-6 | 0-5 | 133 |
| Charlotte | Sun Belt | 1-8 | 0-6 | 134 |
| Sam Houston | Conf USA | 1-8 | 0-5 | 135 |
| UMass | MAC | 0-9 | 0-5 | 136 |
| AVERAGE | 1.7 - 7.3 | 0-5.6 | 105 |
The Average SP+ of winless in conference Teams: 105 (out of 136)
Penn State's SP+: 20 (out of 136)
YES, OSU and Indiana are coming off a win vs. a Top 20 SP+ team :)
UPDATE - PSU, as it stands now, is the 3rd best team on schedule (SP+ only)
| Opponent | Team | SP+ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 14 |
| 2 | Grambling St | LOL |
| 3 | Ohio | 95 |
| 4 | Washington | 21 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 60 |
| 6 | Illinois | 23 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 90 |
| 8 | PSU | 20 |
| 9 | Purdue | 84 |
| 10 | UCLA | 77 |
| 11 | Rutgers | 64 |
| 12 | TCUN | 18 |
Note: this discounts Washington State (0-1 in PAC 12, but 4-5)... They are in the 2 team PAC12.
