Penn State has dropped in both the AP and Coaches Polls.
Although PSU did win 63-0 this weekend, well, the game was against UMass, who is now 1-7.
Penn State fell from No. 6 to No. 7 in the AP and from five to six in the coaches.
It’s hard to impress voters by beating UMass. What was an impressive win took place in Seattle. Washington beat Oregon, 36-33, and moved from No. 7 to No. 5. Oregon is still ranked, falling from No. 8 to 11. The team Penn State plays this coming Saturday, Ohio State, is No. 3. Fellow Big Ten foe Michigan is No. 2.
Penn State takes on Michigan three weeks after the Ohio State game.
The Ohio State game will take place in Columbus and Penn State will host Michigan at Beaver Stadium.
Both games will be on Fox as the featured matchups for “Big Noon Saturday.” Ohio State and Michigan have both been Boogymen for Penn State in the James Franklin era. PSU is 1-8 against Ohio State since Franklin took over as head coach in 2014 and has fared little better against Michigan (3-6). Those two teams were responsible for Penn State’s only two losses last season.
Michigan pounded Penn State, 41-17, in Ann Arbor Oct. 15.
Penn State had a much better showing against Ohio State two weeks later at Beaver Stadium, but still fell, 44-31.
Of the six team’s Penn State’s beaten so far, only No. 23 Iowa is ranked in the top 25.
Team Ferentz improved to 6-1 with an ugly 15-6 win at Wisconsin. Iowa is known for great defense and equally bad— or worse— offense, and both were on display in Madison. In Happy Valley Sept. 30, Iowa had nothing working for it, and Penn State won that White Out game, 31-0.
