Penn State Drops to No. 6 in AP Top 25 Poll, Keeping Playoff Hopes Alive After Ohio State Loss

After rising to the top three prior to its 20-13 loss to Ohio State on Saturday, Penn State has moved down to No. 6 in the new AP Top 25 poll released on Sunday.

The first edition of this year’s College Football Playoff Rankings will be revealed on Tuesday and, despite a defeat, Penn State appears to be in comfortable position to contend for a playoff debut. 

The toughest stretch of the regular season schedule is behind the Nittany Lions, who will face Washington, Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland before learning their postseason fate. The Huskies and Golden Gophers are the only two future opponents who currently possess a winning record.

A bid for a Big Ten Championship appeared promising before falling to the Buckeyes, but the odds of such an appearance now seem rather murky. Penn State was one of four conference foes ranked this week: Oregon stayed at No. 1, the Buckeyes moved up one spot to No. 3 and undefeated Indiana entered the top 10 at No. 8.

Illinois was previously the Nittany Lions’ one ranked win in 2024, but after a 25-17 loss to Minnesota, the Fighting Illini are on the outside looking in of the polls for the first time since Week 2.

Even with one loss, James Franklin should have a good shot at making his playoff debut this winter, but strength of schedule, or lack thereof, could ultimately play a role in his program’s seeding if they are to win out the regular season.