Penn State is getting ready to open the 2026 season against an unfamiliar opponent in Marshall, a school they haven’t played in 96 years. These two teams have only played each other twice, and the Nittany Lions won both matchups convincingly.
They beat the Thundering Herd 26-7 in 1929 before annihilating them 65-0 the very next season. The games were played so long ago that there aren’t even box scores, but it’s safe to assume that Penn State’s ground attack was working overtime in those games, as the forward pass was much less prevalent in those days.
Since the Nittany Lions don’t have much of a history with Marshall, we’ll have to look at their overall Big Ten record, which isn’t much better at 2-7 all-time. However, the only two wins they have in the conference
came in 2013 and 2015, so it seems like they’re figuring out how to play up to the competition in modern times.
Similarly, Penn State doesn’t have much history with playing schools in the Sun Belt Conference either. The school is 3-0 all-time against the conference, with its last game coming against Appalachian State back in 2018.
Despite the Thundering Herd’s improvement against Big Ten competition, Penn State should still be able to take the field Saturday and win the game handily. Maybe it won’t be another 65-0 blowout, but they are expected to win this game going away.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What is Penn State’s all-time record vs. Marshall?
