Penn State vs. Washington Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 · 2 games in, blended with the projection
Where Washington gets at Penn State: 14th at moving the ball on the ground, against a unit 92nd at shutting down the ground game. Penn State projects no clear way in against Washington. Washington is also 9th on first and second down, against a unit 63rd.
How
WASHattacks
PSU
- 1
Lean on the run
moving the ball on the ground · 23% this season, 2 games
WASH42%#14 of 138PSU37%#92 of 138 - 2
Win first and second down
first and second down · 23% this season, 2 games
WASH53%#9 of 138PSU41%#63 of 138 - 3
Expect a clean pocket
sacks and tackles for loss · 23% this season, 2 games
WASH9.2%#11 of 138PSU17.7%#56 of 138
The two teams
Penn State
Penn State throws it: Matt Campbell's offenses have been pass-leaning across 11 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 25th at throwing it.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (−1.6%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −27.1% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Penn State has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 18% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensethrowing it+0.87#25 of 138
- Offensegetting stopped at the line7.3%#27 of 138
- Defensehitting chunk plays1.09#28 of 138
Washington
Washington throws it: Jedd Fisch's offenses have been pass-leaning across 6 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 8th at generating havoc. The way in is 136th at hitting chunk plays.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+1.9%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −18.9% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Washington has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 23% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Strengths
- Defensesacks and tackles for loss27.8%#8 of 138
- Offensefirst and second down53%#9 of 138
- Offensesacks and tackles for loss9.2%#11 of 138
Soft spots
- Offensehitting chunk plays0.99#136 of 138
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (WASH Elo 1757, PSU Elo 1880 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects WASH -7 (67% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
PSU51st46thWASHWASH102nd24thPSUThrough the air
PSU29th47thWASHWASH51st5thPSUOn the ground
PSU103rd38thWASHWASH109th64thPSUStaying on the field
PSU29th31stWASHWASH101st14thPSUTaking care of it
PSU1st5thWASHWASH1st46thPSU
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| PSU | WASH | |
|---|---|---|
| +18.3 (#18) | CORE overall | +10.9 (#34) |
| +8 / -10 | offense / defense | -1 / -12 |
| 3.79 | points / drive | 1.65 |
| 0.50 | allowed / drive | 1.09 |
| 16% | three-and-outs | 25% |
| -0 | pass over expected | +13 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Penn State vs. Washington?
Gridpex's model favors Washington with a 67% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Penn State vs. Washington?
The model projects Washington by 7.0.
What time is Penn State vs. Washington and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Husky Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →