The Matt Campbell era is off and running, folks.

Penn State football dismantled Marshall 45-0 in its 2026 season opener on Saturday. The preseason No. 18-ranked Nittany Lions were powered by Koby Howard’s breakout performance, Caleb Bacon’s masterclass off the edge, and a raucous Beaver Stadium environment.

Penn State looked better than good — it looked great. The offense and defense were firing on all cylinders as Campbell made a fiery first impression.

With the excitement surrounding the new era, though, there were definitely some interesting takes floating around on social media postgame. Here’s how our staff reacted to some of them.

Koby Howard Is The Best Wide Receiver In The Country

Cadyn Gill: Absolutely not. Could he eventually be? Sure. But too many gamebreakers have been doing it longer than Koby Howard. Let’s see how he fares against stickier coverage concepts before we make that proclamation.

Jamie Lynch: Let’s pump the brakes. I’m all-in on Howard just as much as anybody else, but it takes more than one strong showing to be the best in the land. Right now, that honor belongs to Jeremiah Smith.

Smith had 151 receiving yards on eight receptions and two touchdowns against Ball State this past weekend, and has a strong shot at being in New York on December 12 for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Yes, Howard had more yards on fewer receptions and will probably become Penn State’s top receiver this season, but let’s give it some time before making extreme claims.

Oscar Orellana: Let’s take a deep breath, everybody.

Howard is awesome. He showed what he’s capable of against Marshall, and I’m sure he’s definitely going to be in the conversation for best receivers in college football come November. But it was one good game.

Howard needs to hold up this level of production through this season to firmly make a case for himself. For now, Smith and Malachi Toney still exist.

The Running Back By Committee Approach Won’t Work

Cadyn Gill: Hard disagree. There clearly isn’t one bell cow in this running back unit. Instead, you have a handful of guys who each have their own skill sets. The best approach would be to cycle them on gamedays to keep them fresh and explosive.

If I’m being honest, though, I think offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser wants to throw the football a lot more than Penn State fans are used to. With a quarterback as solid as Rocco Becht and talented perimeter players, I think the run game should be used to keep opposing defenses honest and keep coverage lanes open.

Jamie Lynch: It’s clear that Penn State has some work to do regarding its running game, but I’m not too worried. I really liked what I saw from Carson Hansen on Saturday, despite the fact that he had just 48 yards on the ground. His speed and physicality will ultimately lead to production, and I’m excited to watch him excel.

James Peoples also brings a lot to the table, and I think the Nittany Lions should continue to experiment with both in the next couple of weeks. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton proved that running back by committee can be extremely effective, so I’d give it time before coming to a conclusion.

Oscar Orellana: Out of everything that went right for Penn State against Marshall, the running backs left a lot to be desired. That isn’t a bad thing, though. Every game calls for something different, and Becht had everything handled through the air.

There will be a game sooner rather than later where Hansen, Peoples, Quinton Martin Jr., and Cam Wallace will all play a key role in getting Penn State a victory. Mouser and Campbell said all four deserve to play, and if that’s the case, I’m sure the production will kick in once everything is aligned.

I wouldn’t lose my head simply at the fact that none of those guys’ stats jumped off the page after the passing game performed so well against the Thundering Herd.

Penn State’s Win Isn’t Impressive Because It Was Against Marshall

Cadyn Gill: I don’t think I would use “impressive” to describe Penn State’s victory on Saturday either. Had that been a Power Four school, I probably would have been impressed. But I wasn’t looking for “impressed.” I wanted to see the speed and precision at which the Nittany Lions were operating, because those roster traits actually translate to big-time games against worthy opponents.

The last three years have featured maddeningly clunky offenses and defenses that didn’t play heavy enough when there wasn’t a gaping canyon between Penn State’s talent level and its opponents’. Neither of those issues appeared against Marshall. So, while waxing Marshall might not be impressive, I think the level to which Campbell and his staff have already elevated this roster is.

Jamie Lynch: Nope, I was thoroughly impressed. Penn State exceeded my expectations on Saturday. The passing game was fantastic, and the defensive effort deserved praise. Even though Marshall might not be the team’s biggest test of the season, I think the Nittany Lions looked way better yesterday than they did against Nevada last year.

Division I teams have Division I players, and Penn State handled business. Given all the moving pieces this offseason, Matt Campbell deserves a lot of credit for having his team ready to go from the jump.

Oscar Orellana: I don’t think I — or anyone else on our staff, for that matter — expected Penn State to look as good as it did on Saturday. The game just looked so seamless, with all due respect to Marshall.

And honestly, anyone belittling the game’s result because it was against a non-Power Four opponent just won’t be happy with any result. Marshall is a well-run program and football team. Definitely not a team to sneeze at. Doesn’t anybody remember how they felt after Penn State’s non-conference slate last season?

The players played impressively, and the coaches coached impressively. You do the math.

Penn State Already Looks Like A Top-10 Team

Cadyn Gill: I can’t answer this with confidence until the Nittany Lions play a formidable opponent, so for now, I’m going to say no. I don’t think I’d bet my own money on Penn State beating any of the top-10 teams. Maybe Oklahoma or Ole Miss, but that’s about it.

Jamie Lynch: I would say so, and I believe they will get there soon enough. Part of the reason is how bad so many other ranked teams looked in week one. I’m looking at you, Oregon and Michigan. Penn State has the talent and coaching to compete with the nation’s top teams, and it was evident to me after just three quarters on Saturday.

Oscar Orellana: With how the rest of the Big Ten looked… do it, AP voters.

Rocco Becht Had A Better Starting Debut Than Drew Allar

Cadyn Gill: Statistically and emotionally? No. That touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith was nothing short of euphoric to watch in person. Drew Allar was a young pup making his first start ever in a Beaver Stadium night game against the hated Mountaineers.

Make no mistake, Becht played at a surgical level against the Thundering Herd, but realistically, he should have. I’ll give this one to No. 15.

Jamie Lynch: Man, don’t do this to me. September 2, 2023, changed my life.

If we’re looking at the stats alone, Becht and Allar had fairly similar debuts. Allar had Becht beat on the yardage front, but No. 3’s QBR and completion percentage were higher than those of his Penn State predecessor.

To me, this is like comparing apples to oranges. Both debuts were substantial for completely separate reasons. You, more or less, knew what you’d be getting out of Becht, but I would still consider Allar’s more impressive.

Allar was seen as the savior of Penn State football and had all the pressure in the world on his shoulders ahead of his first start. But in primetime at Beaver Stadium, he tuned out all the outside noise and showed that he could be the real deal. The placement of his first touchdown pass to Lambert-Smith was a thing of beauty for a young quarterback, and I can’t help but think of just how much James Franklin and Danny O’Brien ruined him.

Oscar Orellana: Unlike Cadyn and Jamie, I was not in Beaver Stadium for Allar’s debut. I honestly didn’t even know who the guy was (don’t kill me, please).

However, I have, of course, seen replays of that fateful September night when Allar toppled the Mountaineers behind 325 yards and three touchdowns. I wish I were there that night to see what some people say was Allar’s best collegiate game.

On the other hand, Becht had a stellar 271-yard, four-touchdown debut against Marshall. He played great, but he isn’t the talk of college football coming out of that game like Allar was. Howard and Bacon made Penn State’s biggest headlines coming out of Saturday, and for that, I have to give the edge to Allar.