Penn State drops out of Top 25 after stunning loss to Wisconsin

(WHTM) -- Last night saw the first major hurdle of the Matt Campbell era for Penn State football.

The Nittany Lions, at one point up 17-0, saw their lead evaporate in the fourth quarter as Wisconsin pulled off a wild comeback to win 24-20 , the first win for the Badgers in State College in over two decades.

The loss means immediate consequences. Penn State, ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll last week , is now out of the top-25 entirely.

It was the biggest drop in the field, along with rival Michigan, who is also out of the top-25 after falling to Iowa on a game-winning touchdown as time expired.

Wisconsin clearly earned the respect of the voters; the Badgers are in the honorary No. 26 spot with 102 points. The Nittany Lions are 28th with 98, while the Wolverines are 31st with 54. Nebraska, undefeated after pulling away from Michigan State, is 33rd with 36, while Minnesota is 38th following a win over Washington.

Ohio State is the highest-ranked Big 10 team at No. 5, with Indiana right behind at No. 6. The Buckeyes go on the road to No. 14 Iowa in Week 5. Oregon is back in the top-20, improving to No. 15 after rallying past No. 18 USC. UCLA had the biggest jump of any team in the top-25, moving to No. 23 after blowing out Maryland.

Penn State will try to redeem itself Friday with an away tilt at Northwestern.

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Here's a look at Penn State's schedule for 2026: