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Penn State Football: Nittany Lions drop in latest AP Poll

By Barry Leonard Jr.

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: A Penn State Nittany Lions helmet sits on the field during warm ups prior to the start of the Nittany Lions game against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium on September 1, 2012 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: A Penn State Nittany Lions helmet sits on the field during warm ups prior to the start of the Nittany Lions game against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium on September 1, 2012 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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After barely surviving Week 1, it’s not surprising that Penn State football dropped in the latest edition of the AP Poll. 

Penn State football ended the 2018 season ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Poll. However, Week 1 didn’t go quite as expected. Favored by over 20 points, the Nittany Lions struggled mighty at home against Appalachian State. Those struggles caused the Nittany Lions to drop in the poll for Week 2.

A seven-point overtime loss to what was supposed to be an inferior opponent in the first week of the season wasn’t going to be looked upon positively by voters. The Nittany Lions fell three spots in the Week 2 AP Poll, coming in at No. 13 on Tuesday.

Despite pulling out the victory last Saturday, the Nittany Lions showed some glaring problems.

The defense was unable to stop Appalachian State, particularly in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers never went away and put up 21 unanswered points in the final frame. Penn State was torched for 451 yards, something that must improve as the season goes on.

As bad as it was on defense for the Nittany Lions, things were even worse on special teams. After scoring a touchdown not eh opening drive, Penn State allowed a 100-yard kick return to tie the game. Later, during a crucial time in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions failed to prevent Appalachian State from recovering an onside kick.

Fortunately, the offense, led by senior quarterback Trace McSorley, was able to work out the kinks as the game went on and looked very potent at times.

This week, Penn State will have to deal with a tough road test at Pittsburgh.

Despite falling in the latest poll, Penn State is still primed for a big seasons. The season is long and there’s plenty of time to rebound from the poor performance in Week 1.

The top three spots in the AP Poll reminded the same, With Alabama on top, followed by Clemson and Georgia. Ohio State moved up to No. 4. The biggest move of the week came from LSU after the domination of Miami Sunday night.

Next. Penn State Football: Week 1 studs and duds. dark

With Michigan (21), Michigan State (15), Penn State (13), Wisconsin (5), and Ohio State (4), the Big Ten landed just behind the SEC (six teams) for having the most representatives in the weekly poll.

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