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Penn State Football Ranked No. 7 in First College Football Playoff Rankings

By Marty Leap

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions watches game action from the sideline during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans on November 26, 2016 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions watches game action from the sideline during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans on November 26, 2016 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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The initial College Football Playoff rankings have been released, where did Penn State football fall in the top-25?

The Penn State football team is coming off a gut-wrenching 39-38 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes over the weekend. Entering this game the previously undefeated Nittany Lions  ranked out at No. 2 in the country in the both the Coaches’ Poll and the AP Poll. After the loss, they fell to #7 in both polls.

Due to the formation of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee in 2014, the only ranking that truly matters is the College Football Playoff ranking. Well, the first edition of these rankings for the 2017 season were released tonight and the Nittany Lions find themselves firmly in the top-10.

Just as they do in the Coaches and AP Poll, Penn State finds themselves ranked No. 7 in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

After losing this past Saturday the Nittany Lions no longer control their own destiny for making the College Football Playoff. However, they are far from eliminated.

If the Nittany Lions win out to finish the regular season at 11-1, which they should, Notre Dame loses another game, and the Big 12 and Pac-12 Conferences both produce a champion with multiple losses then there is a very good chance that Penn State ends up the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Having those teams lose is not unlikely, either. Notre Dame has two games remaining against ranked teams (@ Miami, @ Stanford), and the first place team in each Pac-12 division already has multiple losses.

Mix in each of the Big 12’s 1-loss teams (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and TCU) each having to play ranked teams, including each other, the rest of the way and the Nittany Lions getting the help they need is very likely.

Next: How PSU commits performed this past weekend

The complete top-25 is as follows:

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Notre Dame
  4. Clemson
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Ohio State
  7. Penn State
  8. TCU
  9. Wisconsin
  10. Miami
  11. Oklahoma State
  12. Washington
  13. Virginia Tech
  14. Auburn
  15. Iowa State
  16. Mississippi State
  17. USC
  18. UCF
  19. LSU
  20. NC State
  21. Stanford
  22. Arizona
  23. Memphis
  24. Michigan State
  25. Washington State

The Nittany Lions travel to #24 Michigan State on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on FOX. Penn State beat Michigan State 45-12 at Beaver Stadium last season.

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