Another week has passed and Penn State is again ranked among the top teams in the nation. For a third consecutive week, the Nittany Lions, who completed a 28-13 comeback win at Wisconsin on Saturday, remain at No. 3 in the new AP Top 25 poll released on Sunday.
Ohio State, which narrowly escaped with a 21-17 win against Nebraska this weekend, is again ranked No. 4, setting the stage for a top-five matchup at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
The game will mark the Nittany Lions’ first top-five meeting since falling as a No. 4-ranked team at No. 3 Iowa on Oct. 9, 2021. The last time Beaver Stadium hosted such a contest was in 1999, when No. 4 Penn State beat No. 3 Arizona.
The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are two of five Big Ten teams included in this week’s rankings. Oregon (8-0) remained at No. 1 after dominating Illinois, which fell four spots to No. 24, and Indiana (8-0) stayed at No. 13 after a 31-17 win over Washington.
After defeating the red-hot Badgers, Penn State’s path to the College Football Playoff is as clear as ever. Even if the Nittany Lions are to lose to Ohio State, an appearance in the new 12-team format is likely, if James Franklin is able to lead his team to wins over the final four games of the regular season.
Penn State’s meeting with the Buckeyes will be about as big a production as any game this season. ESPN College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will both air from Penn State prior to kickoff. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is planning to attend the game, a university spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.
Elsewhere in the top five, Georgia stayed at No. 2, while Miami moved up one spot to No. 5, with Texas dropping down one place to No. 6.
