Penn State’s playoff odds plummet after loss to Wisconsin

Paul White, Nittany Lions WireTue, September 29, 2026 at 8:11 PM UTC

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It’s tough to make the College Football Playoff in the first year of a program, but it seemed like Matt Campbell and his Penn State Nittany Lions had an outside shot with their schedule. They escaped high-stakes battles with powerhouses like Ohio State and Indiana, so they had a path to the big dance if they took care of business.

But unfortunately, the Wisconsin Badgers got the best of them on Saturday and now a trip to the playoff is a futile hope. Penn State dropped in this week’s edition of ESPN’s Football Power Index, and its playoff odds are in free fall.

The index gives the Blue and White just a 9.3% chance of making the playoffs, down nearly 30% from last week. Maybe there’s still a chance if they win every game left on their schedule, but that feels like a lot to ask for after being bested by Wisconsin.

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Campbell and his team can still earn a trip to a prestigious Bowl Game at the end of the season, though. Penn State even got a Bowl Game last year in a season that felt like one of the worst in decades for the program. But still, squandering such a favorable path stings a little bit for a group that could have really used the experience

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State’s playoff odds plummet after loss to Wisconsin

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Source: “AOL Sports”