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Where does Penn State rank in the updated College Football Playoff Poll?

Mug-Shot 4x4by:Ryan Snyder•11/28/23•

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Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. (Credit: Frank Hyatt | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State wrapped up its 2023 season in style last Friday, beating Michigan State 42-0. With the Nittany Lions locking up another 10-2 season, fans would likely have to see multiple upsets during conference championship games to knock Penn State out of contention for a New Year’s Six Bowl.

Just like we saw in the Associated Press and Coaches Polls earlier in the week, Louisville’s loss to Kentucky during rivalry week moved James Franklin’s program up another spot in the poll, with Penn State now ranked No. 10 overall in the country.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Ohio State dropped down to No. 6 in the CFP Poll following Saturday’s loss to Michigan. The Buckeyes had an opportunity to take the lead late, but quarterback Kyle McCord threw his second interception in the game, giving the Wolverines its third-straight win in the series. Michigan has since replaced the Buckeyes at No. 2 nationally.

Iowa, which represents Penn State’s best win of the season, sits at No. 16. The Hawkeyes pulled out an improbable win when Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy was intercepted with just 15 seconds left in the game. Iowa running back Leshon Williams then picked up 22 yards on the next play to set the Hawkeyes up for the game-winning field goal. Iowa will now face Michigan in the Big Ten Championship this upcoming Saturday. The Wolverines are currently 23-point favorites.

If this weekend’s games go as many expect them to, the Nittany Lions will likely end up playing in either the Peach, Cotton or Fiesta Bowls. The Peach Bowl, which is located at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, has never hosted Penn State. The Fiesta Bowl has hosted the Lions seven times total, the most recent of which was in 2017. They’ve also played in the Cotton Bowl four times, most recently in 2019.

That’s a major reason why the Peach Bowl is the most common projection when you look across national media outlets. Out of the 11 bowl projections that Blue White Illustrated’s Greg Pickel put together on Monday, six favored the Peach Bowl, with both Tulane and Missouri the projected opponents. Three went in favor of the Fiesta Bowl, one to the Cotton Bowl and one left out Penn State altogether for a New Year’s Six Bowl.

Moving forward, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will update its rankings one more time this upcoming Sunday, Dec. 3, following the conclusion of the conference championship games the day before. The College Football Playoff Selection Show, which airs on ESPN, will announce this year’s playoff field around 12 p.m. ET, with the remaining New Year’s Six Bowls to follow a few hours later.

Below is the updated College Football Playoff Poll.

College Football Playoff Poll – November 28

1) Georgia
2) Michigan
3) Washington
4) Florida State
5) Oregon
6) Ohio State
7) Texas
8) Alabama
9) Missouri
10) Penn State
11) Ole Miss
12) Oklahoma
13) LSU
14) Louisville
15) Arizona
16) Iowa
17) Notre Dame
18) Oklahoma State
19) NC State
20) Oregon State
21) Tennessee
22) Tulane
23) Clemson
24) Liberty
25) Kansas State

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