After suffering its third consecutive loss Saturday night, Penn State football fell two spots in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll.
The Nittany Lions now sit at No. 22 in the poll after Saturday’s defeat to Ohio State at Ohio Stadium. James Franklin’s group hung with the top team in the Big Ten for the most part, but a couple of key turnovers and late-game scores handed Penn State a 33-24 defeat.
Penn State climbed all the way to No. 4 in the ranking after starting the season 5-0. The red-hot start included wins over Wisconsin and Auburn, but the Nittany Lions fell for the first time at Kinnick Stadium against Iowa week six. That was largely due to Sean Clifford’s injury, but the loss to the Hawkeyes then spiraled into an inexplicable defeat to a struggling Illinois team at the Homecoming game.
The Nittany Lions remain to be the lowest-ranked Big Ten squad in the AP Top 25. Ohio State remains at No. 5 this week, while Michigan State climbs to No. 5 and jumps Ohio State after its impressive 37-33 win over Michigan, who now sits at No. 9. Iowa comes in at No. 19.
As for the USA Today Coaches Poll, Penn State slid back six spots to No. 23. The rest of the Big Ten comes in as follows: Ohio State (No. 5), Michigan State (No. 6), Michigan (No. 10), and Iowa (No. 16).
Franklin’s team has a clear chance to bounce back next weekend with a trip to College Park. The Nittany Lions will take on a Maryland squad that currently has a 5-3 record on the year with wins over West Virginia and Indiana. The Terps took down the Hoosiers by three Saturday, as quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 419 yards and two scores.
Next Saturday’s contest against Maryland will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on FS1.
