Did Penn State football move up in the AP top-25 rankings after the win over Indiana?
Penn State is regaining some ground in the polls.
The Nittany Lions (9-1) stayed steady at No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings, which were released Sunday afternoon. Although they didn’t move up at all, they’re still in better shape than last week. Penn State now has 1,030 voting points; it had 1,003 last week.
James Franklin’s squad bounced back after last weekend’s loss to Minnesota by holding on for a 34-27 win against Indiana on Saturday. That helped PSU leap-frog Minnesota, which dropped four spots to No. 11 after a 23-19 loss to Iowa, but Oklahoma jumped PSU with a 34-31 win over Baylor, which moved the Sooners up two spots to No. 8.
This is now the 53rd straight week that Penn State is ranked in the AP Top 25, making it the country’s fifth-longest streak behind Alabama (192), Ohio State (127), Clemson (81) and Oklahoma (56).
As it stands, both CBS Sports and 247 Sports agree on the Nittany Lions’ bowl destination — but it’s not likely to please fans of the blue-and-white. Both media outlets predict an Outback Bowl berth, where PSU will take on Texas A&M on Jan. 1.
But, as we’ve reiterated all season, a whole lot can change between now and the bowls being announced. In fact, Penn State’s next game — against Ohio State — could throw a wrench into the College Football Playoff and all the top bowls.
If Penn State would somehow win that, and then beat Rutgers, it would earn a spot in the Big Ten title game. In other words, three more wins in a row and Penn State is likely in the College Football Playoff.
But, it’s worth reminding, the AP Poll does not factor into the CFP rankings. Instead, it acts as a nice barometer to how the committee might rank PSU in its third set of rankings this Tuesday. The AP Poll can sometimes offer a sneak peek at what those rankings look like.
And, in the current AP Poll, Penn State remains in solid position compared to the rest of the conference. No. 2 Ohio State is still the team to beat, followed by Penn State (No. 9), Minnesota (No. 11), Michigan (No. 12), Wisconsin (No. 14) and Iowa (No. 19). Indiana and Illinois are also receiving votes.
The next AP Poll will be released 2 p.m. Nov. 24.
The full top-25 rankings are below:
1. LSU 1,542
2. Ohio State 1,478
3. Clemson 1,442
4. Georgia 1,343
5. Alabama 1,263
6. Oregon 1,243
7. Utah 1,155
8. Oklahoma 1,144
9. Penn State 1,030
10. Florida 984
11. Minnesota 902
12. Michigan 829
13. Baylor 787
14. Wisconsin 746
15. Notre Dame 676
16. Auburn 623
17. Cincinnati 536
18. Memphis 520
19. Iowa 493
20. Boise State 379
21. SMU 328
22. Oklahoma State 200
23. Appalachian State 154
24. Texas A&M 132
25. Virginia Tech 61
Others receiving votes: Indiana 47, Iowa State 31, Virginia 23, Navy 13, Air Force 12, Pittsburgh 9, San Diego State 7, USC 6, Washington 6, Texas 4, Illinois 1
