Penn State Ranks Fourth in First Reveal of College Football Playoff Rankings

Story posted November 7, 2019 in

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College Football Playoff committee released its first rankings of the season Tuesday night, seeding Penn State as the fourth-ranked team in college football.

There was a lot of talk as to which team should land the fourth spot between Penn State and Clemson, as both teams are undefeated. It came down to strength of schedule, which Penn State has the edge over the defending national champion Tigers.

This is the first time ever that Penn State has been ranked inside the top four in the playoff rankings since the format took over in 2014.

Penn State being ranked fourth was a shock to some people, as the Nittany Lions are currently ranked fifth in the AP and Coaches Polls. One such person was freshman Will Sweeney.

“I think Penn State should be ranked that highly,” Sweeney said. “But it surprised me when the playoff committee thought so as well.”

Penn State students are very excited for the impending conclusion of the college football season, such as senior Justin Henson, who talked about the matchup with top-ranked Ohio State.

“I am super excited for the Ohio State game,” Henson said. “I think we’ve got a really good team, and I can’t wait to hopefully go to the national championship game in a few months.”

Before even thinking of a national championship bid, Penn State has to conquer its remaining schedule against four conference opponents. The next matchup for the Nittany Lions comes on the road against a tough Minnesota team on Saturday.

 

Sean Barron is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email stb5311@psu.edu.