Penn State football was ranked No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season, ESPN announced Tuesday evening. The Nittany Lions, who hold an overall record of 7-1 and a Big Ten record of 4-1, are ranked as the third-best team from the conference, behind No. 1 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan.

The Nittany Lions moved up to No. 9 in the latest AP Poll after narrowly defeating Indiana 33-24 on Saturday. Penn State earned the benefit of a loss by Oklahoma to then-unranked Kansas, which dropped the Sooners from No. 6 to No. 10 in the AP Poll.

Penn State’s lone loss came to Ohio State in Columbus two weeks ago in a 20-12 defeat. If the Nittany Lions win out, a top-four finish could be within reach. Standing in their way is Michigan, which still has yet to play both the Nittany Lions and Ohio State.

Penn State next faces Maryland on the road at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 4. The game will be broadcast on FOX and the Nittany Lions opened as 11.5-point favorites.

The next rankings will be announced at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, on ESPN.

About the Author

Nolan Wick

Nolan wrote for Onward State from 2021 until 2025. He mainly covered Penn State football, men’s hockey, and baseball, and he was also an associate editor. A Silver Spring, Maryland, native, Nolan is an avid D.C. sports and Liverpool fan. You can follow him on Twitter @nolan_wick.

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