Penn State football (3-5, 0-5 Big Ten) continues its 2025 season amid a disappointing slide in conference play. The outlook for the rest of the season appears even more concerning now that the first College Football Playoff rankings are out.
First, Ohio State was ranked No. 1, setting it up to face either Oregon or Texas Tech in the Quarterfinals. This strong placement comes just over a week after the Buckeyes embarrassed the Nittany Lions in Columbus, 38-14.
The initial College Football Playoff Rankings and the projected 12-team bracket: pic.twitter.com/jdeKYWIvhs
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2025
In the blue and whites' next matchup, they face the next-highest AP-ranked team in the country, No. 2 Indiana, Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Despite the Hoosiers arriving at Happy Valley with a strong resume they've built this season, the initial CFP rankings make this game even less favorable for Penn State.
Indiana was ranked as the second seed in the playoffs. According to this first look, it would face either Notre Dame or BYU in the Quarterfinals.
A dominant Indiana team led by masterful head coach Curt Cignetti and his talented offense —featuring Heisman candidate quarterback Fernando Mendoza and top receivers in the country, Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper — could use these rankings as extra motivation before Saturday's matchup.
The Hoosiers are already undefeated and rank at the top of the Big Ten alongside the Buckeyes; they dismantled a talented Oregon team on the road and surpassed every metric they could. Cignetti is not plateauing or becoming complacent. The only thing standing in his way right now is Ohio State, and who wouldn't want to play to the same standards as the reigning national champion? Unfortunately for Penn State, that's bad news for Saturday.
The Hoosiers know the Nittany Lions are a team with nothing to lose. Like Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, Cignetti isn't forgetting that Penn State has talent on the roster even if it's not being capitalized on.
Going into the matchup with this mindset and focus only makes the game that much tougher for the blue and white. While the Nittany Lions had positive flashes against Ohio State, they couldn't sustain it for a full four quarters. The only thing separating the Buckeyes from the Hoosiers is there can't be two No. 1 spots on neither the AP Poll nor CFP rankings.
For Penn State, it provides one last opportunity for players and coaches to compete against a top-ranked opponent. From thereon out, it's Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers. A tough loss on Saturday can derail the locker room's mentality and lead to a disappointing three-game stretch to the finish line of a terribly underwhelming season.