The No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions will host the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday in a Week 1 college football matchup on FS1.
It’s a new era in Happy Valley.
After 12 seasons under James Franklin, Penn State brought in Matt Campbell as its head coach this offseason. Campbell took Iowa State to new heights, posting a 72-55 (.567) record in 127 games, including a 19–7 mark over the past two seasons.
Along with Campbell comes quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht started all 39 games for the Cyclones from 2023 to 2025, posting a 26–13 record. He had a career year in 2024, throwing for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading Iowa State to 11 wins for the first time in school history.
The Nittany Lions will have more than 50 new players from a season ago, including 18 defensive transfers under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
Meanwhile, Marshall enters 2026 in Year 2 of the Tony Gibson era. The Thundering Herd went just 5–7 last season but lost four games by a combined 11 points. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson returns at quarterback after leading the team in both passing (2,043 yards, 17 touchdowns, five interceptions) and rushing (660 yards, six touchdowns) in 2025.
Can the Thundering Herd shock the world and pull off a massive Week 1 upset? Or will Penn State get the Campbell era started with a win?
Let’s take a look at the odds for Penn State vs. Marshall at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 5.
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Marshall @ No. 18 Penn State Odds
Moneyline
- Penn State: -4000 (bet $10 to win $10.25 total)
- Marshall: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Spread
- Penn State -24.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
- Marshall +24.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Over/Under
- Over 52.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
- Under 52.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Marshall @ No. 18 Penn State Prediction, Pick
From FOX Sports Research:
Penn State’s defense should be dominant in 2026. In 2023, D’Anton Lynn transformed UCLA into a top-10 national unit in his lone season, improving from 87th to 10th in total defense (301.5 YPG) and from 90th to 14th in scoring defense (18.4 PPG). He then took over a USC defense that ranked 121st nationally and improved it to 51st in just two years. However, Penn State’s offense poses some causes for concern. Iowa State’s 2025 offense, which Penn State should closely resemble, finished 60th in total offense, 63rd in yards per play, 70th in scoring offense and 75th in passing offense. Meanwhile, Marshall was far better than its record showed last season, losing several close contests. This was a team that could have easily won nine games. The Thundering Herd also did a great job taking care of the football, throwing the ninth-fewest interceptions in the country, while their 21st-ranked rushing attack from a year ago should help them stay ahead of the chains in this hostile environment. Take Marshall to cover this big spread, with maybe even a little sprinkle on the moneyline.
The Pick: Marshall +24.5
How to Watch Penn State vs. Marshall
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 5. 2026
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV: FS1
- Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App
- Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
