Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546586
W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2 p e r c e n t Penn State's chance of winning the national championship this year, per the Polymarket betting app, following Week 1 of the college football season. The Nittany Lions were one of 39 teams given a champi- onship probability of 3 percent or less. The favorite, at least according to Poly- market's traders, was LSU, with a 14 percent chance of winning the College Football Playoff. 6 Consecutive seasons in which the Penn State football team has posted at least one shutout victory. The Nittany Lions are the only team in the FBS to have done that. They opened their 2026 campaign with a 45-0 win against Marshall. Shutout Wins Since 2021 Year Opponent Score 2021 Indiana 24-0 Rutgers 28-0 2022 Maryland 30-0 2023 Iowa 31-0 Massachusetts 63-0 Michigan State 42-0 2024 Kent State 56-0 2025 Florida International 34-0 2026 Marshall 45-0 1 1 Years since a true freshman had started for Penn State's defense in a season opener prior to cornerback Jo- siah Zayas getting the nod in the Nit- tany Lions' victory over Marshall. The last true freshman to start for PSU's defense on opening day was John Reid, who opened at corner- back against Temple in 2015. 4 0 Number of Penn State players on 53-man rosters to start the 2026 NFL season. Among all college programs, the Nittany Lions had the 10th-most alumni in the league to open the year, according to data compiled by Spotrac.com. Alabama had the most with 62, followed by Ohio State with 60 and Georgia with 56. Thanks largely to the presence of Green Bay defensive end Micah Par- sons and Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley, the Nittany Lions' alumni contingent ranked eighth in combined salary, with its players set to earn $249.5 million. The Crimson Tide ($458.8 million) and Buckeyes ($455.9 million) topped that list, too. College Teams With The Most Active NFL Alumni* Rk. Team Players Salary (in millions) 1. Alabama 62 $458.8 2. Ohio State 60 $455.9 3. Georgia 56 $362.4 4. LSU 48 $353.7 5. Texas 46 $144.3 6. Notre Dame 45 $260.3 7. Michigan 44 $220.8 8. Oregon 42 $214.3 9. Florida 42 $152.4 10. Penn State 40 $249.5 * Source: Spotrac.com 6 3 Career receiving touchdowns by four-star Penn State com- mit Landon Blum after he reached the end zone 4 times in Woodbine (Iowa) High's 90-0 victory over Sidney on Sept. 4. Blum, who is listed by Rivals as the No. 42 receiver nationally and No. 2 prospect in Iowa, broke the state's eight-man football record for most ca- reer touchdown receptions, which had previously belonged to Callan Mes- serich of Easton Valley with 60 scores. Blum totaled 6 catches for 217 yards in the Tigers' romp over Sidney. 6 3 . 6 Penn State's all-time winning percentage against in-state football opponents. With their 27-9 victory over Temple on Sept. 12, the Nittany Lions improved to 172-96-12 against FBS and FCS foes from Pennsylvania. Of those 96 losses, 43 have been to Pitt. 111 Years since a Penn State football head coach won his debut by shutout before MATT CAMPBELL led the Nittany Lions to a 45-0 romp over Marshall on Sept. 5. The last coach to post a shutout victory in his first game on the Penn State sideline was Dick Harlow, who guided his team to a 26-0 win over Westminster on Sept. 15, 1915, at Beaver Field. $ 1 . 5 m i l l i o n Marshall's payday for agreeing to play Penn State at Beaver Stadium in this year's season opener for both teams. As part of the contract, which must be paid by Nov. 29, the Thundering Herd also received 400 complimentary tick- ets and 75 game programs, along with the right to purchase 3,000 additional tickets. The teams also agreed that a Big Ten crew would officiate the game. By The Numbers O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 17 PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS