Penn State Falls Out of Top 25 in AP Poll After Loss to Wisconsin

The Penn State Nittany Lions suffered a surprising loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in Week 4 of the 2026 season. It was the first loss suffered under head coach Matt Campbell, who took over the program this offseason.

Penn State fell 24-20 to the Badgers, allowing 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. With the loss, the Nittany Lions dropped from being the 13th-ranked team in the country to outside the AP Poll's Top 25.

Penn State's offense had an atrocious performance, as quarterback Rocco Becht couldn't get anything going. Becht completed just 12 of 29 passes for 114 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception.

He was very inefficient and had his worst performance of the season, which played a major role in the loss. This season, Becht has completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 865 yards, nine touchdowns, and an interception, while rushing for 22 yards and a touchdown.

The run game wasn't strong for the Nittany Lions either, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. James Peoples had the biggest impact of the bunch, with 67 yards on 14 carries. Becht rushed for 23 yards and a touchdown, while Quinton Martin Jr. had 14 yards on six carries, Carson Hansen had 11 yards on four carries, and Cam Wallace had four yards on two carries.

Penn State's defense was dominant early in the game, which kept them in the game despite the offense's lackluster display. Josiah Zayas had a pick-six while Daryus Dixson and Tony Rojas each had an interception. Rojas was also effective as a pass rusher with two tackles for loss and a sack.

Despite a solid overall game, the Nittany Lions couldn't get a stop late, as Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph connected with tight end Jacob Harris on a 72-yard touchdown to give the Badgers the lead with 1:13 left in the game.

Penn State's loss is on the offense not producing, but it was disappointing that the defense allowed an explosive play late.

The Nittany Lions will look to reset in Week 5 as they take on the Northwestern Wildcats. It won't be an easy game, as Northwestern is 2-1 and had a competitive loss to the defending National Champion Indiana Hoosiers last week.

If Campbell's group wants to become a ranked program again and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff, they will need to get a win over the Wildcats and regain momentum for the remainder of the season.