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Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Open Unranked in AP Top 25

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James Franklin and Penn State football will start the season unranked in the Associated Press Top 25 as the Nittany Lions fall four teams outside the rankings.

The Nittany Lions are unranked to open the year for the first time since 2016, although Penn State has been unranked during two separate seasons over that same span.

Penn State was last ranked in October of 2021 at No. 20 heading into an eventual 33-24 loss to Ohio State in Columbus.

The announcement on Monday afternoon means Penn State will start the year unranked in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll which was released last week.

The Nittany Lions are behind Tennessee, Texas and Iowa in the “others receiving votes” category in the AP Poll.

Across the Big Ten, Ohio State leads the way, coming in at No. 2 in the nation just behind Alabama. (Georgia, Clemson and Notre Dame comprise the rest of the top five.)

Michigan slots in at No. 8, while Michigan State and Wisconsin land at No. 15 and No. 18, respectively, to round out the conference’s representation in the preseason poll.

Penn State’s opening week opponent, Purdue, also received votes in the poll as did the Nittany Lions’ week three opponent, Auburn.

Cross-state rival Pitt finds itself at No. 17, while new Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s old head coaching stop at Miami lands at No. 16.

Former Penn State quarterback Will Levis and Kentucky open the year at No. 20.