Penn State

4-4

Week 10 · updated Wednesday, Nov 4

Penn State beat Purdue 31-17 and is 4-4 in Matt Campbell's first season.

Fan mood in the week of the Purdue game: middle of the pack

Fan mood in each Penn State game week this season

Compared with other fanbases in r/CFB game threads that week. Each row is a week, named for its game; the further right the dot, the brighter the talk.

sourerbrighterat Temple W 27-9middle of the packvs Buffalo W 55-13middle of the packvs Wisconsin L 20-24on the sour sideat Northwestern L 13-34middle of the packvs USC L 23-31on the sour sideat Michigan L 18-21middle of the packvs Purdue W 31-17middle of the packsourerbrighterSep 12at TempleW 27-9middle of the packSep 19vs BuffaloW 55-13middle of the packSep 26vs WisconsinL 20-24on the sour sideOct 2at NorthwesternL 13-34middle of the packOct 10vs USCL 23-31on the sour sideOct 17at MichiganL 18-21middle of the packOct 31vs PurdueW 31-17middle of the pack
  • W 45-0 vs Marshall
  • W 27-9 at Temple
  • W 55-13 vs Buffalo
  • L 20-24 vs Wisconsin
  • L 13-34 at Northwestern
  • L 23-31 vs USC
  • L 18-21 at Michigan
  • W 31-17 vs Purdue
  • Next: at Washington, Saturday, Nov 7

Scores ours first.

Penn State fans in other seasons

souruneasymixedhopefulall in2019hopeful2020mixed2026 so faruneasysouruneasymixedhopefulall in2019hopeful2020mixed2026so faruneasy

2021-2025 are not shown: not enough of their chatter was read to place a season.

Since the last game

Penn State won 31-17 vs Purdue.

The whole Purdue game

Before Washington

Penn State has won the last three meetings.

The playoff simulation gives Penn State a 36% chance at Washington on Saturday, Nov 7.

In the playoff simulation, the Washington game has a bowl on it for Penn State.

Washington game on Now

What the Washington game is worth

How fan mood is read

Fan mood compares what Penn State fans wrote in r/CFB game threads with every FBS fanbase with enough talk that week. A week runs Monday to Sunday and is named for the game in it. The read is redrawn 300 times from the same commenters, re-ranking every fanbase each time. Sour or all in means the read sat in the bottom or top fifth in at least 70 of every 100 draws; on the sour side or on the bright side, in the bottom or top two fifths in at least 80; anything less settled is middle of the pack. A bright label also needs more positive talk than negative, and a sour one the reverse. Brighter or sourer than usual compares the week with the team's own earlier weeks, after taking out how every fanbase read that week. Each dot sits at the read's rank that week. A week read before these labels keeps the word it was first given, the fifth it sat in (sour, uneasy, mixed, hopeful or all in). Season averages are the mean of a season's reads, in fifths from sour to all in, and seasons before 2026 were read from each week's wider talk, so a comparison across seasons is rough. 2019 and 2020 were read later, in one pass, from saved talk.

Fan mood, week by week

Mood over time

Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling

What the reporters say

What reporters say

6 quotes collected this season

What the beat said, in their own words.

You know you look at this schedule this year; their best win is what? Like they went on the road and beat Penn State in a white out
Leinart · On33 days before Penn State's 2026 game against Purdue
When you’re the head coach of a blue blood school, you have to be ready to weather the storms, the overly positive and overly negative
Riley · On33 days before the Purdue game
Tommy Carr played better and here’s one thing… he should be the starting quarterback going forward over Bryce Underwood
McFarland · On37 days before the Purdue game

More in this tab

Fan chatter

Fan chatterThe loudest night of the season and what a usual night looks like.

Fan chatter this season

Loud

The loudest night was the 20-24 loss to Wisconsin.

FirstSecondThirdFourthWisconsin fansPenn State fansusual

A usual night for Penn State fans is busy.

Arguments

Recurring takesThe takes and theories circulating about this team right now.

What’s in the air

Penn State adds a highly rated edge rusher to its roster, which could help offset recent NFL Draft losses.

How will Elijah Guertin's addition impact Penn State's defensive line next season?

Still openJun 14→ 9
Our sentiment model: 55.6% negative, 22.2% positive
oh man they're gonna fuck up Penn State LMAOr/CFB
Getting one 4 star commit would be great with 20 commits and 15 very low 3 star commits ! Very average class ! Wheres the upgrade in recruiting they went from franklin loosing all top recruits to campbell who cant get anyone in the top 250 !…YouTube · Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

This commitment is crucial for Penn State as they rebuild after losing key players to the NFL Draft.

How will Case Alexander's addition impact Penn State's future lineup?

Still openJun 22→ 11
Our sentiment model: 54.5% negative, 18.2% positive
I'm sure the comments are coming on how we still don't have elite 5 stars, and this is just an example of Campbell barely being able to recruit. And if Case decides to flip, then we'll hear how we just lost a gem from the same people.YouTube · Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated
Penn State was such a coaching s--tshow last year on offense and defense. It was such a spectacularly bad team for having 8 NFL draft picks. This year's team won't have the top end talent but they have good talent and probably better depth. If…YouTube · Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated
The argumentThe one thing this fanbase can't agree on, with receipts.

Inside the fanbase: all 12 corners

Cr/CFB
GGoogle News
LLocked On
BBlack Shoe Diaries
CCampus paper
BBluesky
YYouTube
7 outlets & communities talking

The split, staged

Warmest corner+0.09
Casuals
Most bought-in cohort
vs
Coldest corner−0.09
Local
Most skeptical cohort

How Penn State fans actually talk

Rr/CFBFan talk

I hate it. Joe failed to uphold his morals. He does not deserved to be honored.

open ↗

One of the crowd’s most upvoted takes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.

From the team’s own coverage

▶

Locked On

Penn State Football Cannot Afford to Ignore This Issue...

listen ↗

All 12 corners of the fanbase

negative
0
positive
Local−0.09 to Casuals+0.09

Cohort sentiment is a source-weighted model read — never a quote pinned to a person.

What this fanbase keeps coming back to

fan energy
31%
recent results
18%
where the program is headed
15%
the coaching staff
10%
offense
6%

Topics are model-labeled from Reddit — a rough signal of what this fanbase is circling right now.

week 10. The sources and the divergence rank are measured. Cohort labels and sentiment are a source-weighted model estimate, never a quote attributed to a person.
ArgumentsRecurring arguments this fanbase keeps returning to.

What fans are saying

player performanceEarly signal — few voices

fans think the defense can’t stop any opposing offense

I’m afraid we’re going to get slaughtered. I’ve never seen a PSU defense so bad

Based on 2 comments from 2 posters across 2 threads · Oct 3, 2026–Oct 10, 2026 · via CFB, Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

fan moraleOne fan's take

One fan thinks Rocco Becht is over-discussed in media coverage

It will be a great day in Penn State Football History when we don't have to hear "Rocco Becht" again.

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Oct 20, 2026 · via Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

program directionOne fan's take

One fan thinks standing pat risks long-term competitive decline

The problem for Penn State is unless they go all out LSU portal style (they won’t. And Campbell doesn’t have any evidence he’s portal competent) they are in for years of problems.

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Oct 9, 2026 · via Josh Pate's College Football Show

player performanceOne fan's take

One fan argues his decision-making costs games

becht, this is the 2nd time in 2 games where u have run out of bounds for a loss near the endzone instead of throwing it away. wtf are you doing?

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 19, 2026 · via CFB

Show all 9
player performanceOne fan's take

One fan believes Rocco Becht has missed too many open throws

Rocco just doesnt have it. The defense is demoralized and not giving effort because of an offense that hands the keys back to them every 4 plays.

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Oct 3, 2026 · via Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

fan moraleOne fan's take

One fan thinks bowl games lack urgency without playoff implications

So when the players don’t care if they arent playing for a championship, and sit out games, i think that trickles into the fan base. It’s tough to get up for a bowl game that isnt the playoffs when lots of players have decided it isnt important.

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 18, 2026 · via Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

player performanceOne fan's take

One fan thinks the running backs lack explosiveness

If the was one thing I could critique regardless of the positives it would be the run game is anemic. Do we even have 75 yards combined with Hansen/Peoples?

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 12, 2026 · via CFB

player performanceOne fan's take that season

One fan believes Rocco Becht will be a top QB in the Big Ten

Penn State goes 11-1 and makes the CFP (on a weak schedule) but get bounced early. A healthy Rocco Becht returns to 2024 form and is one of the top 3 QBs in the B1G.

Based on 2 comments from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 28, 2026 · via CFB

program directionOne fan's take that season

One fan believes the new staff will improve Penn State’s overall competitiveness

That was an informative and interesting interview. Very positive interview. As a Penn State grad, who cares about the total package and big picture, Hoodjer struck a balance, profile and confidence that feels very much like the fit of this new staff will raise the results for Penn State.

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 23, 2026 · via Penn State Football on Blue White Illustrated

Rival talk

The obsessionThe rival this fanbase can't stop bringing up.
Rent Free · r/CFB fan posts, 2026 season
Penn State lives rent-free in
  1. Temple68%
  2. Iowa State22%
  3. Virginia Tech11%
  4. Maryland6%
  5. Wisconsin6%
share of each rival fanbase’s football posts that bring up Penn State
Rivalry wordsNumbers from Words for this program and its tier-1 rival, staged side by side.
What the sport says about this rivalry 2026 season · from Words

The watchlist words in play for this rivalry, Penn State vs. Ohio State, staged head to head. A number is how much a program uses that word against the average FBS program — above or below 1.0× — not raw volume, and not a claim about who says it about whom.

Penn State Ohio State
The whole board →

How Penn State fans talk

Who they talk aboutThe people this fanbase names more than anyone else does.
Who they talk about Against the field · 2026 season

The names this fanbase says more than anyone else does — players, coaches, the places they keep coming back to. Not slang: these are the people carrying the conversation.

Rocco Becht
×299.9 the field
Signature — named ≥10× as often as the rest of college football
Rocco Becht×299.9
Tony Rojas×258.6
Alex Manske×671.7
Taylor Mouser×169.2
D'Anton Lynn×87.1
Chase Sowell×318.6
Drew Allar×27.6

“Rocco Becht is the first QB in FBS history to have both CTE and a Lobotomy at the same time.”

reddit/CFB · fan post
Fans on Rocco Becht
  1. Rocco Becht didn’t lose the game for us. So, there’s that.
  2. There's probably a correlation between ticket prices and Rocco Becht's performance. So we probably win tomorrow.
  3. I am sick of Rocco Becht in a way that I never reached even in the darkest depths of the Sean Clifford y
  4. Rocco Becht throws it in front of the receiver
  5. Rocco Becht is a human being, albeit a very wealthy one. /sarc
  6. Especially considering they are botched call and a Rocco Becht away from being 2-5
  7. "Complete faith in Rocco Becht." Let that sink in PSU fans. Matt enjoy your #62 ranking and 0-4 start to the conference
  8. Not ready for prime time Rocco Becht - the most experienced QB in college football 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
What they're calledThe slang the sport reaches for about this program more than most.
What the sport calls them 2026 season · from Words

How often college football reaches for these watchlist words about Penn State — against the average FBS program, or against their own usual rate — said by rival fans and national media as readily as by their own people.

  • “aura”1.6×more than the average program · #9 of 48
The whole board →
Voice profileHow this fanbase sounds vs. every other fanbase.
Measured
Optimism
10th
Joy
37th
Anger
79th
Doom
63rd
Sarcasm
82nd
Vs the 127 highest-volume fanbases - 2026 season
Vocabulary by eraThe words that defined each chapter of this program.

Season vocabulary

2026campbell
campbellroccobechtmoneykraftwisconsin
campbell is on the hot seat for not benching Becht
2025defense
defenseallarknowlesbowloffenseterry
defense left their motivation on the bus
2024defense
defensesmukickerlinemanwarren
Love the defense getting pressure earlier
This page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. Text written by our model says so in a line beneath it, and it can get facts wrong. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site