The college football season is nearing its kickoff with each passing day. Watchlists are coming out, and fall camp is churning along in Happy Valley. Ranking galore has occurred over the past week, with polls being released with the nation’s top 25 teams.
The Penn State Nittany Lions were ranked No. 9 in last week’s preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and once again ranked in the top 10 in another nationally recognized poll.
Penn State is the No. 8 team in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
Related: Big Ten teams ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll
The ranking matches up with where Penn State has slotted all offseason. After the end of the 2023 season, many way-too-early polls had the Nittany Lions ranked around 11th or 12th, with only a few seeing PSU as a top-ten squad. Penn State seems to have improved steadily in the eyes of poll voters over the last couple of months and is now entrenched in multiple polls’ top 10.
In last week’s coaches poll, Penn State ranked behind Big Ten rivals Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan, coming in at No. 9. The AP Poll has Penn State one spot up and ahead of the defending national champions, who flip spots with the Nittany Lions.
Other Big Ten members ranked in the poll include No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Michigan, and No. 23 USC.
It will be interesting to watch how the newly expanded Big Ten shakes out this season, but Penn State is once again one of the top teams in the conference despite the additions.
A look at the full preseason AP Poll:
| Ranking | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 1,532 (46) |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 1,490 (15) |
| 3 | Oregon Ducks | 1,403 (1) |
| 4 | Texas Longhorns | 1,386 |
| 5 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 1,260 |
| 6 | Ole Miss Rebels | 1,189 |
| 7 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 1,122 |
| 8 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 1,060 |
| 9 | Michigan Wolverines | 995 |
| 10 | Florida State Seminoles | 971 |
| 11 | Missouri Tigers | 927 |
| 12 | Utah Utes | 887 |
| 13 | LSU Tigers | 804 |
| 14 | Clemson Tigers | 689 |
| 15 | Tennessee Volunteers | 629 |
| 16 | Oklahoma Sooners | 566 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 538 |
| 18 | Kansas State Wildcats | 526 |
| 19 | Miami Hurricanes | 492 |
| 20 | Texas A&M Aggies | 292 |
| 21 | Arizona Wildcats | 237 |
| 22 | Kansas Jayhawks | 231 |
| 23 | USC Trojans | 172 |
| 24 | North Carolina State Wolfpack | 171 |
| 25 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 140 |
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.