Penn State is No. 15 in the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings.
Here’s the full #CFBPlayoff Top 25 rankings for games played through October 29.
Where does your team rank? pic.twitter.com/BI1KBAcL2Y
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 1, 2022
After Penn State came in at No. 16 in both the AP and Coaches polls Sunday, the first playoff rankings were a little nicer to the program, although it now has no shot of making the Playoff after Saturday’s loss to Ohio State.
As everybody knew coming in, Penn State is ranked well behind the Big Ten’s top two teams, the aforementioned Ohio State (No. 2) and Michigan (No. 5). Penn State lost at Michigan, 41-17, Oct. 15, two weeks before falling to Ohio State, 44-31, at Beaver Stadium.
Illinois is the Big Ten’s last of four ranked schools, coming in at right behind Penn State at No. 16. The Illini are ranked ahead of Penn State in both the AP (No. 14) and Coaches (No. 13) polls. Penn State and Illinois do not play each other this season, and only meet up occasionally due to being in opposite Big Ten divisions.
Elsewhere in the first CFP rankings of this year, Tennessee No. 1. After No. 2 Ohio State, Georgia, who plays Tennessee in Athens this Saturday at 3:30, is No. 3. Clemson debuts at No. 4, and Michigan rounds out the top five.
Penn State will look to climb up the rankings, and to do that, it needs to beat Indiana this Saturday. The Hoosiers have lost five straight, and a loss to them in Bloomington would likely knock Penn State from any reputable top 25 ranking out there. Kickoff is at 3:30.
