Will Penn State be ranked in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?

You know the college football season will be here soon when the preseason rankings start coming out. Our first temperature reading on the upcoming season will come on Tuesday with the release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. There will be plenty to watch in the first coaches poll of the season, especially for Penn State.

For starters, where will Penn State be ranked? WILL they be ranked? Who else from the Big Ten will be ranked, and where? It is likely that defending national champion Indiana will find a solid ranking to start their title defense. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Oregon remain top favorites in the Big Ten this season, and the Buckeyes and Ducks figure to get some high preseason rankings. USC, Michigan, and Washington are all on Penn State’s schedule. Will they be ranked?

Here is a quick rundown of what to know ahead of the release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.

How to watch the reveal of the US LBM Coaches Poll

USA TODAY Sports will unveil this year’s preseason US LBM Coaches Poll with a live stream on YouTube. The broadcast will include commentary and reaction from college football analysts Blake Toppmeyer, Matt Hayes, John Brice and Paul Myerberg. Here is when and how to watch the live stream

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

The live feed will also be available to watch below once the stream goes live.

Will Penn State be ranked?

The official prediction from this writer is yes, Penn State will be ranked. Despite a bit of uncertainty and a bit of a lack of confidence in just how good this team may or may not be going into the upcoming season, there seems to be more than enough right pieces in place to have a top-25 caliber season.

Expect Penn State to fall somewhere in the 17-21 range in the preseason coaches poll.

Penn State’s recent US LBM Coaches Poll history

Penn State started off last season riding high with a No. 3 preseason ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll, but things came crashing down in a hurry in the middle of the year. The Nittany Lions finished the season with a 7-6 record and outside of the final coaches poll of the season.

As you can see from the past 15 seasons, the coaches poll has had a difficult time accurately predicting the fate of the Nittany Lions for the college football season.

When does the 2026 college football season start?

The official start to the 2026 college football season is approaching quickly, with a Week 0 slate of games on tap for Saturday, Aug. 29. The highlight of Week 0 may be the matchup between North Carolina and TCU taking place in Dublin, Ireland. USC, considered by some a College Football Playoff contender this season, will also be in action with a home opener against San Jose State.

Penn State’s 2026 football schedule

Here is Penn State’s 2026 football schedule with updated start times and TV information. This will be updated as needed. Home games are listed in all CAPS and all times are Eastern (ET).

DATE

OPPONENT

TIME

Sept. 5

MARSHALL

FS1

3:30 p.m.

Sept. 12

at Temple

ESPN2

12:00 p.m.

Sept. 19

BUFFALO

Big Ten Network

12:00 p.m.

Sept. 26

WISCONSIN*

TBD

Oct. 2 (Fri)

at Northwestern*

FOX

8:00 p.m.

Oct. 10

USC*

TBD

Oct. 17

at Michigan*

TBD

Oct. 31

PURDUE*

TBD

Nov. 7

at Washington*

TBD

Nov. 14

MINNESOTA*

TBD

Nov. 21

RUTGERS*

TBD

Nov. 28

at Maryland*

TBD

“*” denotes Big Ten Conference game

Penn State’s bye week is during Week 8 (Oct. 24)

The Big Ten Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Big Ten Media Day photos of Matt Campbell and Day 1 speakers

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Penn State Football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Football head coach Bret Bielema speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Rutgers Football head coach Greg Schiano speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Wisconsin Football head coach Luke Fickell speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Football head coach Kirk Ferentz speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; USC Football head coach Lincoln Riley speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Kevin McGuire is the lead writer for Nittany Lions Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on BlueSky, Threads or any of these other platforms.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Will Penn State be ranked in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?

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