Penn State firmly inside Top 10 following regular season finale
Penn State will head into its bowl game ranked as one of the best teams in the country, as the Nittany Lions moved firmly into the top 10 in both the Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll Sunday.
Last week, the coaches put James Franklin’s team at No. 10 in their poll. However, the media wasn’t quite ready to make that move yet, leaving the Lions at No. 11. Now, Penn State has moved up three spots in both polls, climbing to No. 7 in the Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the AP Top 25.
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Losses for LSU and Clemson both played a part in Penn State’s move up the rankings. Brian Kelly’s team had already locked up the SEC West, but still lost to a Texas A&M squad that won’t be playing in a bowl this year. Oregon also collected their third loss, falling to rival Oregon State in another epic Civil War showdown. Ironically, the Ducks remain ahead of Oregon State in both polls, despite the outright win and the same 9-3 records.
While Ohio State was beaten soundly by Michigan, the Buckeyes may still be in contention for a playoff birth if either TCU and USC lose next week, as both polls rank Ryan Day’s team at No. 5. If Ohio State was able to get into the playoff, that would allow Penn State to play in the Rose Bowl.
Below are the updated polls following the final week of the regular season.
Associated Press Poll – Week 14
1) Georgia
2) Michigan
3) TCU
4) USC
5) Ohio State
6) Alabama
7) Tennessee
8) Penn State
9) Washington
10) Clemson
11) LSU
12) Utah
13) Kansas State
14) Florida State
15) Oregon
16) Oregon State
17) UCLA
18) Tulane
19) Notre Dame
20) South Carolina
21) Texas
22) UCF
23) UTSA
24) North Carolina
25) Mississippi State
Related: How did Penn State’s players perform vs. MSU? PFF Snap Counts & Grades
Coaches Poll – Week 14
1) Georgia
2) Michigan
3) TCU
4) USC
5) Ohio State
6) Alabama
7) Penn State
8) Tennessee
9) Washington
10) Kansas State
11) Clemson
12) Utah
13) LSU
14) Florida State
15) Oregon
16) Oregon State
17) UCLA
18) Tulane
19) Notre Dame
20) South Carolina
21) Texas
22) North Carolina
23) UCF
24) UTSA
25) Mississippi State
