If there is a sure sign of confidence that the start of a new college football season is creeping up on us bit by bit, it may be the release of the USA TODAY Sports Poll. The coaches poll for the upcoming 2023 season was released on Monday, and Penn State will start the year with the No. 7 ranking.
Penn State had to work its way up the coaches poll last season. After starting out second in the others receiving votes category in the 2022 preseason coaches poll, Penn State went on to enjoy an 11-2 season capped with a victory over Pac-12 champion Utah in the Rose Bowl. This season, however, the bar has been raised for the Nittany Lions and the voters in the coaches poll are putting Penn State squarely on the College Football Playoff radar with a top-10 ranking to start the season.
Two-time defending national champion Georgia was the easy pick for the coaches for the top spot on the preseason coaches poll. Georgia pulled in 61 of 66 first-place votes to cement themselves atop the preseason coaches poll. Two-time defending Big Ten champion Michigan took the second spot in the poll despite not receiving any first-place votes. No. 3 Alabama received four first-place votes, and No. 5 Ohio State received the last remaining first-place vote.
The only other two teams ranked ahead of Penn State in the preseason poll are LSU and USC, respectively. Florida State, Clemson, and Tennessee round out the top 10 behind Penn State, in that order.
The only ranked teams appearing on Penn State’s regular season schedule this year are the two teams that finished ahead of them last year in the Big Ten East Division, Michigan and Ohio State. Wisconsin, at No. 21, is the only other Big Ten appearing in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
However, future Big Ten members USC, Washington (No. 11), and Oregon (No. 15) are all in the preseason poll.
Penn State will play a few teams who also received votes but not enough for a top 25 ranking; Iowa, Maryland, and Illinois.
A look at the full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 0-0 | 1,643 (61) | – |
| 2 | Michigan | 0-0 | 1,510 | – |
| 3 | Alabama | 0-0 | 1,489 (4) | – |
| 4 | Ohio State | 0-0 | 1,485(1) | – |
| 5 | LSU | 0-0 | 1,294 | – |
| 6 | USC | 0-0 | 1,228 | – |
| 7 | Penn State | 0-0 | 1,181 | – |
| 8 | Florida State | 0-0 | 1,145 | – |
| 9 | Clemson | 0-0 | 1,078 | – |
| 10 | Tennessee | 0-0 | 991 | – |
| 11 | Washington | 0-0 | 941 | – |
| 12 | Texas | 0-0 | 848 | – |
| 13 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 841 | – |
| 14 | Utah | 0-0 | 839 | – |
| 15 | Oregon | 0-0 | 820 | – |
| 16 | TCU | 0-0 | 655 | – |
| 17 | Kansas State | 0-0 | 440 | – |
| 18 | Oregon State | 0-0 | 365 | – |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 0-0 | 320 | – |
| 20 | UNC | 0-0 | 315 | – |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 0-0 | 309 | – |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 0-0 | 303 | – |
| 23 | Tulane | 0-0 | 225 | – |
| 24 | Texas Tech | 0-0 | 200 | – |
| 25 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 196 | – |
Others Receiving Votes
Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63; Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28; Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18; Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5; Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2; Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.
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