Penn State football may need a week off as much as anyone in the country.
The Nittany Lions must attempt to retool themselves in light of their disheartening 3-4 start, including the 21-18 meltdown defeat at Michigan — their fourth straight in Big Ten action — to start the Matt Campbell era.
The Lions have lost each of their conference games after beginning Campbell's first season in State College with three decisive, non-conference victories.
Penn State will not play this weekend, their only open date of the 2026 season. Its next game will be on Halloween against the Purdue Boilermakers (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) in Beaver Stadium.
The Lions, stunningly enough, are in the middle of a four-game Big Ten losing streak for the second straight season. Last year, they lost six straight under fired head coach James Franklin and interim leader Terry Smith before winning at Michigan State.
Now, PSU must try to improve its inept running game and inconsistent defense and finally settle mistake-prone senior quarterback Rocco Becht. Can it possibly 'fix' one of the weakest pass rush attacks in the nation?
Doing those things would be a big step toward regrouping, earning its first Big Ten game and making a push for some type of postseason appearance.
Help could be on the way, at least, with the expected return of injured Lions, such as young edge rusher/linebacker LaVar Arrington II and star receiver Koby Howard, who should team with Chase Sowell to form one of the top wideout combinations in the league and beyond.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Is Penn State football, winless in the Big Ten, playing in Week 8?