Penn State is back in the College Football Playoffs top 10, America found out Tuesday night on the weekly playoff ranking special.
This doesn’t come as a surprise.
PSU came in at No. 10 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, which were released Sunday.
Penn State had been No. 11, but moved up slightly after this past weekend’s events, which featured PSU ending its regular season by pounding Michigan State 42-0 at Detroit’s Ford Field for the coveted Land Grant Trophy. Louisville, which had been ranked No. 10, lost its regular-season finale in a rivalry game at Kentucky. Both Penn State and Louisville ended their regular seasons 10-2. Penn State won’t be playing until its bowl game, and Louisville will take on Florida State Saturday night in the ACC Championship Game.
On the same night, No. 2 Michigan will play Iowa in the Big Ten title game. Michigan and Ohio State— the team it beat Saturday— are the only teams that have beaten Penn State in the regular season since the end of 2021. Ohio State beat PSU 20-12 in Columbus Oct. 21. Michigan got a 24-15 win in Happy Valley three weeks later.
Michigan will be a lock for the College Football Playoff if it avoids what would be a massive upset Saturday. Team Harbaugh is a three-touchdown favorite over Iowa.
Ohio State has an outside chance at the Playoff, although it will need some help to get there, but Penn State is out of the top four picture.
Nonetheless, being in the top 10 certainly won’t hurt Penn State’s quest to make it to a New Year’s Six bowl game for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Most projections have Penn State going to such a game.
We’ll know for sure when and where Penn State plays Sunday.
