Penn State earns highest Associated Press Poll finish in the James Franklin era
Penn State didn’t reach its ultimate goal of winning a national championship in 2024, but head coach James Franklin and his team still put together one of the best seasons in program history, going 13-3 and reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals.
On Tuesday, the final Associated Press Poll for the 2024 season recognized that, as Penn State finished fifth overall in the poll. This is the 15th time in school history that the Nittany Lions finished among the top five, the 29th time they finished within the top 10 and the 46th time they were ranked among the top 25 teams at the end of the season. It’s also the school’s highest finish in the AP Poll since 2005.
Of course, Big Ten rival Ohio State finished No. 1 in the poll following last night’s win in the national championship game. The Buckeyes may have lost twice this season, but they also beat No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Texas and Penn State throughout the season. Add in wins over No. 9 Tennessee and No. 10 Indiana and you can make the argument that it’s one of the most impressive resumes in recent history.
The poll is also historic for the Big Ten, as it’s the first time ever that three teams from the conference have finished in the top five.
Link: Penn State adds Keystone State four-star to January 25 junior day list
Looking ahead, Penn State should begin next season in a similar position following last week’s news that a handful of key contributors will return for the 2025 season. On offense, the Nittany Lions lose the nation’s top tight end, Tyler Warren, but they’re set to bring back quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. If incoming wide receivers Kyron Hudson and Devante Ross can have the impact that Penn State believes they can, the offense could be one of the best in the country, as four of their five starting offensive linemen from this past season will also return.
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Penn State will lose a bit more on the defensive side of the ball – notably DE Abdul Carter, LB Kobe King and Saf. Jaylen Reed – but they also were able to retain defensive tackle Zane Durant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and safety Zakee Wheatley.
Penn State fans can check out the final Associated Press Poll for the 2024 season below.
Final Associated Press Poll – January 21
1) Ohio State
2) Notre Dame
3) Oregon
4) Texas
5) Penn State
6) Georgia
7) Arizona State
8) Boise State
9) Tennessee
10) Indiana
11) Ole Miss
12) SMU
13) BYU
Link: Where is Penn State ranked in the early Top 25 polls for 2025 season?
14) Clemson
15) Iowa State
16) Illinois
17) Alabama
18) Miami
19) South Carolina
20) Syracuse
21) Army
22) Missouri
23) UNLV
24) Memphis
25) Colorado
Others receiving votes: Navy 55, LSU 39, Louisville 38, Michigan 36, Kansas St. 11, Marshall 8, Ohio 8, Florida 7, TCU 2, Texas A&M 1
