Penn State Climbs in the Polls After Win Over Minnesota

The Lions' 45-17 win sets the stage for a top-15 matchup vs. Ohio State at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State climbed three spots in the major college football polls after a 45-17 win over Minnesota, setting up a top-15 matchup against Ohio State.

The Lions (6-1) improved to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll after scoring 45 points against the Gophers, their highest total in a Big Ten game since a 56-point performance against Illinois to close the shortened 2020 season. Penn State also set a program record for most points score in a White Out game.

Penn State  rose three spots to No. 11 in the ESPN College Football Power Index, in which Ohio State is ranked No. 1. The Buckeyes (7-0) are ranked second in each major poll.

The Lions won their third consecutive White Out game played in front of fans, as more than 109,000 attended the game. Franklin credited Penn State fans for contributing to Minnesota's five false starts on offense.

"We're going to need that again next Saturday," Franklin said of the atmosphere. "So don't allow anybody to get our tickets. Let's dominate that stadium next week again with our fans, make it a real challenging environment."

Penn State hosts Ohio State at noon Saturday on FOX.

Read More

The Penn State-Minnesota report card

Penn State restores the big-play offense in a rout of Minnesota

James Franklin was ready to celebrate after Penn State's win over Minnesota

How the Penn State White Out became the greatest show in college sports

Minnesota's Kirk Ciarrocca returns to Penn State as a 'better coach'

Michigan Stadium tunnel a 'problem,' James Franklin says

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.