This week's picks

Purdue vs. Penn State Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Purdue at Penn State

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 4:15 PM ET, Beaver Stadium.

The numbers say: Penn State, 78% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 4:15 PM ET
TVBTN
WhereBeaver Stadium
Weather58°, cloudy, wind 4 mph
LinePenn State −10, total 54.5
Line movementOpened Penn State −8.5; moved 1.5 points toward Penn State. Total opened 52.5, up 2.
SeriesPenn State leads 17–3–1
Last meetingPenn State 49–10 in 2024

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Penn State by 11.680%58
PRIMEPenn State by 6.267%
EloPenn State92%
The linePenn State −10, opened −8.554.5, opened 52.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Purdue or Penn State?

The numbers say: Penn State. 80% chance to win

Which matchups decide Purdue vs. Penn State?

All three ratings favor Penn State, by 6.2 to 11.6 points. Penn State's best matchup is its passing game, 22nd in EPA per pass, against Purdue's pass defense at 132nd. Purdue's way back in is its early-down offense, 25th in SUPLEX, against Penn State's early-down defense at 87th.

Purdue with the ball

Penn State with the ball

Who's out for Purdue and Penn State?

Purdue

Penn State

How Purdue and Penn State compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Purdue and Penn State are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Purdue's and Penn State's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Purdue and Penn State?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Penn State 9.1 points better (36th to 69th). PRIME also has Penn State ahead, by 3.7. Elo, which only sees results, also has Penn State ahead (16th to 86th).

PurduePenn State
SP+ overall0.2 (69th)9.3 (36th)
SP+ offense30.0 (46th)28.9 (53rd)
SP+ defense30.4 (101st)19.8 (27th)
SP+ special teams0.5 (4th)0.2 (42nd)
PRIME net0.5 (66th)4.2 (50th)
PRIME offense6.77 (28th)-1.44 (77th)
PRIME defense-6.69 (120th)4.67 (30th)
PRIME SOS3.9 (11th)2.3 (22nd)
PRIME SOR0.2 (61st)-0.1 (72nd)
Elo1423 (86th)1800 (16th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Purdue's offense ranks 30th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Penn State defense it faces ranks 38th in EPA per play allowed. Penn State's offense ranks 56th against Purdue's 120th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Penn State's offense against Purdue's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Penn State's passing game: 22nd in adjusted EPA per pass, against Purdue's 132nd-ranked defense. That's a mismatch. Adjust for opponents and Penn State's defense climbs from 73rd to 38th in EPA per play allowed: it has done its work against good offenses.

PurduePenn State
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.17 (30th)+0.12 (56th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.26 (26th)+0.28 (22nd)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.07 (61st)+0.03 (110th)
Success rate (adjusted)43.8% (41st)41.3% (76th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)47.0% (62nd)45.7% (88th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)33.4% (18th)30.3% (73rd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.96 (30th)0.91 (109th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.79 (118th)2.81 (114th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.13 (72nd)0.97 (118th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.19 (120th)+0.06 (38th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.32 (132nd)+0.09 (12th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.12 (113th)+0.11 (109th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)45.4% (112th)38.9% (29th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.95 (94th)0.99 (135th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.07 (105th)2.90 (51st)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.34 (119th)1.32 (116th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Purdue or Penn State?

Purdue is better throwing (24th in EPA per pass) than running (80th). Penn State's pass defense ranks 12th, so that's strength on strength. Penn State is better throwing (33rd in EPA per pass) than running (124th). Purdue's pass defense ranks 132nd, so that's a mismatch. On third down, Penn State has the edge: its offense ranks 101st in EPA per third-down play, and the defense it faces ranks 136th.

PurduePenn State
EPA per play+0.22 (30th)+0.12 (76th)
EPA per pass+0.39 (24th)+0.35 (33rd)
EPA per rush+0.08 (80th)−0.04 (124th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.56 (41st)+0.33 (101st)
EPA per play allowed+0.26 (130th)+0.10 (73rd)
EPA per pass allowed+0.43 (132nd)−0.01 (12th)
EPA per rush allowed+0.20 (127th)+0.25 (131st)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.87 (136th)+0.32 (46th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Purdue or Penn State?

Purdue is outscored by 1.0 a game, and Penn State by 9.8. Purdue's offense ranks 53rd in scoring, and the Penn State defense it faces ranks 27th in points allowed. Penn State's offense ranks 68th against Purdue's 122nd-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Penn State's offense against Purdue's defense.

PurduePenn State
Points scored31.3 (53rd)28.7 (68th)
Points allowed32.3 (122nd)18.9 (27th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Purdue's best matchup is early downs: its offense ranks 25th in SUPLEX, and Penn State's defense ranks 87th in SUPLEX allowed. That's a mismatch. Penn State's best matchup is third downs: its offense ranks 88th in 3rd down conversion rate, and Purdue's defense ranks 117th in 3rd down conversions allowed.

PurduePenn State
Pass yards / game282.4 (22nd)256.7 (41st)
Rush yards / game134.0 (109th)129.0 (116th)
Yards per play6.30 (57th)5.91 (89th)
Yards per carry4.30 (120th)3.98 (130th)
Yards per attempt8.60 (33rd)8.21 (44th)
Completion %68.3% (39th)65.8% (51st)
Success rate45.8% (45th)42.0% (86th)
Explosive play rate12.7% (53rd)10.3% (114th)
3rd down conversion44.8% (41st)37.2% (88th)
Sack rate (taken)6.1% (85th)4.8% (52nd)
INT rate (thrown)1.3% (28th)2.3% (65th)
SUPLEX62.2% (25th)49.6% (112th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Penn State's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 9th in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Purdue's offense is above average in 3rd down conversion rate (41st).

PurduePenn State
Pass yards allowed / game256.4 (119th)125.1 (1st)
Rush yards allowed / game163.9 (92nd)160.7 (82nd)
Yards per play allowed6.87 (118th)5.62 (59th)
Yards per carry allowed5.65 (115th)5.98 (128th)
Yards per attempt allowed8.27 (100th)5.47 (9th)
Success rate allowed46.0% (110th)39.6% (53rd)
Explosive plays allowed18.2% (137th)12.6% (99th)
3rd downs allowed45.7% (117th)27.9% (9th)
Sack rate (generated)3.6% (125th)4.8% (104th)
INT rate (generated)3.2% (41st)4.4% (13th)
SUPLEX allowed63.5% (128th)56.6% (87th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Penn State has the better number in 9 of 12. The biggest gap is stuff rate (defense), where Penn State ranks 25th and Purdue 98th.

PurduePenn State
Big Uglies: offensive line46.2 (103rd)54.8 (34th)
Big Uglies: defensive front42.5 (118th)51.6 (59th)
Line yards per carry2.72 (120th)2.67 (125th)
Line yards allowed per carry3.18 (115th)2.95 (71st)
Second-level yards per carry0.94 (112th)0.79 (130th)
Open-field yards per carry1.05 (88th)0.57 (130th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)18.7% (88th)14.0% (20th)
Stuff rate (defense)16.5% (98th)22.3% (25th)
Power success (short yardage)71.4% (74th)87.5% (2nd)
Power success allowed75.9% (100th)68.0% (54th)
Front-seven havoc allowed9.2% (72nd)6.2% (14th)
Front-seven havoc8.4% (98th)10.0% (57th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Neither team has a real turnover edge: Purdue is +0.6 a game and Penn State +0.6.

PurduePenn State
Interceptions thrown / game0.43 (25th)0.71 (61st)
Fumbles lost / game0.43 (53rd)0.29 (20th)
Giveaways / game0.86 (25th)1.00 (36th)
Interceptions / game1.00 (22nd)1.00 (22nd)
Fumbles recovered / game0.43 (69th)0.57 (51st)
Takeaways / game1.43 (41st)1.57 (28th)
Turnover margin / game+0.6 (25th)+0.6 (26th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Penn State has the more talented roster (26th in the 247Sports talent composite; Purdue is 55th). Penn State also plays further above its talent: +2.3 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Purdue's −2.0.

PurduePenn State
Talent composite698.3 (55th)774.0 (26th)
Blue-chip ratio14.0% (53rd)37.0% (19th)
Players on roster119 (20th)112 (58th)
Rated by 247Sports86 (36th)81 (56th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players12 (51st)30 (21st)
3-star players71 (23rd)50 (106th)
Below 3-star3 (53rd)1 (86th)
2026 transfers in29 (34th)39 (14th)
Transfer share33.7% (49th)48.1% (21st)
SP+ vs. talent-2.0 (78th)+2.3 (53rd)
Returning production47.5% (57th)7.6% (123rd)
Returning passing production97.0% (26th)3.3% (100th)
Returning rushing production60.6% (55th)-1.6% (119th)
Returning receiving production21.6% (98th)14.5% (114th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)55 (55th)65 (65th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes62.8 (66th)27.2 (22nd)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Penn State's roster is valued at $27.8M, Purdue's at $17.8M. Dollar for dollar, Purdue plays better: −2.4 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −3.1 for Penn State.

PurduePenn State
Roster value$17.8M (67th)$27.8M (17th)
Roster cost per win$5.9M (44th)$9.3M (63rd)
Projected wins per $1M0.21 (56th)0.29 (34th)
SP+ vs. payroll-2.4 (44th)-3.1 (48th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Purdue is −0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (−1.0). Penn State is −0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is luck (−1.4). Penn State's record is 1.4 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

PurduePenn State
RECEIPTS (total)-0.5 (89th)-0.5 (89th)
Schedule RECEIPTS-1.0 (129th)-0.3 (101st)
Roster RECEIPTS+0.3 (55th)+0.6 (32nd)
Coach RECEIPTS-0.3 (84th)+0.6 (43rd)
Luck RECEIPTS+0.6 (35th)-1.4 (132nd)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Purdue at Penn State: questions people ask

Purdue vs. Penn State prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Penn State, 80% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Penn State's best matchup is its passing game, 22nd in EPA per pass, against Purdue's pass defense at 132nd.

Where can I watch Purdue vs. Penn State, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 4:15 PM ET at Beaver Stadium. It's on BTN.

What's the projected score of Purdue vs. Penn State?

SP+ projects Penn State 35–23. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Purdue at Penn State?

DraftKings has Penn State −10, total 54.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Purdue vs. Penn State series history?

Penn State leads 17–3–1. Last meeting: Penn State won 49–10 in 2024.

Who are the players to watch in Purdue vs. Penn State?

Purdue: Ryan Browne (1,834 passing yards), Fame Ijeboi (544 rushing yards) and Asaad Waseem (588 receiving yards). Penn State: Rocco Becht (1,664 passing yards), Carson Hansen (275 rushing yards) and Chase Sowell (513 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Purdue at Penn State?

Purdue's is Ryan Browne (1,834 passing yards this season); Penn State's is Rocco Becht (1,664 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Purdue and Penn State: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.