What the Latest College Football Playoff Rankings Mean for Penn State

The Nittany Lions held firm at No. 4 in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes a snap next to running back Kaytron Allen in a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State lingered at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings for a second straight week, remaining on course to host a first-round game in December at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions (9-1) once again were among four Big Ten teams in the rankings' top-5. That group will begin to splinter this weekend, when Ohio State plays Indiana in a potential playoff elimination game.

Penn State's ranking, however, does not represent its potential seed in the College Football Playoff's 12-team field. The top four conference champions will receive the top four seeds and first-round byes in the tournament. If it does not reach the Big Ten title game, Penn State's highest possible seed would be No. 5. But if the season ended with these Nov. 19 rankings, Penn State would be the sixth seed and would host Georgia for a first-round playoff game at Beaver Stadium either Dec. 20 or 21. However, the season is certain to undergo significant change before the final playoff field is unveiled Dec. 8.

The ESPN College Football Power Index gives Penn State an 88.8-percent chance of making the playoff field. Though it likely won't rise much further in the CFP rankings, Penn State could fall over the regular season's final two weeks. The Nittany Lions face their toughest test Saturday at Minnesota, where they have lost twice since 2013. Minnesota, ranked 35rd in the FPI represents Penn State's best resume-building game, particularly since it's in Minneapolis. Maryland (64th) won't help boost Penn State's playoff resume. However, Penn State does carry a top-15 strength of schedule in the regular season's final two weeks.

Penn State has been a firm playoff contender all season, which the first rankings underscored in early November. The Nittany Lions' lone loss was a one-possession decision against No. 2 Ohio State. The Nittant Lions have one win over a team currently ranked in the CFP Top 25 (vs. Illinois at No. 25). Penn State also does not play Oregon or Indiana during the regular season.

"I don't love to kind of talk about a whole lot more than Minnesota and the team that we're playing this week," Penn State coach James Franklin said this week. "What that's preparing for us down the future, I'm totally focused, and I want our team to be totally focused on Minnesota. I guess the question and appreciate the question and understand the question, but if I start talking about things other than Minnesota, then so do our coaches and so do the players, and we lose focus, and then we come out and don't play well. Then my press conference next week is miserable because you guys are all over me because we didn't play the way we should have played.

"There will be a time and a place to talk about that in great detail, but right now our focus is on Minnesota completely."

Penn State visits Minnesota on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Nittany Lions are 11.5-point favorites over the Gophers, according to DraftKings.

THE UPDATED CFP BRACKET PROJECTION 🏈 pic.twitter.com/btjbCEx38a

— ESPN (@espn) November 20, 2024

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