It is still going to be an uphill climb for Penn State to work its way back into the top 25 polls, but the Nittany Lions are still on the radar for at least a few coaches out there. Following Penn State’s 28-0 victory over Rutgers in Week 12, Penn State managed to make a late appearance in this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
Penn State received a grand total of 22 points n this week’s poll, making the Nittany Lions the fourth among those in the Others Receiving Votes category. Arkansas, Clemson, and Mississippi State all come in front of Penn State just outside of the top 25 this week.
Penn State will head to Michigan State this week, and the Spartans will be looking to redeem themselves in a big way. After getting demolished don the road by Ohio State, the Spartans dropped five spots out of the top 10 and down to No. 13 in this week’s coaches poll. But there were others who took a bigger stumble this week.
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No. 11 Oregon also fell out of the top 10 after falling six spots in response to their blowout loss at Utah (up to No. 19, from No. 25). And No. 21 Wake Forest was hit hard for their loss to Clemson. The Demon Deacons dropped nine spots after taking their second loss of the season.
No. 1 Georgia remains the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, with Alabama right behind the Bulldogs at No. 2. But Ohio State moved up to No. 3 thanks to their blowout win over the Spartans. Ohio State moved ahead of undefeated Cincinnati, with the two schools from Ohio swapping rankings this week.
No. 6 Michigan moved up one spot this week, and No. 12 Iowa moved up two spots. No. 18 Wisconsin also moved up two spots this week as the Badgers moved one step closer to the Big Ten West Division crown. No other Big Ten teams appear in this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
A look at the full coaches poll after this week’s slate of games.
Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Georgia | 11-0 | 1,550 (62) | – |
| 2 | Alabama | 10-1 | 1,450 | – |
| 3 | Ohio State | 10-1 | 1,428 | +1 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 11-0 | 1,388 | -1 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 10-1 | 1,258 | +1 |
| 6 | Michigan | 10-1 | 1,250 | +1 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 10-1 | 1,210 | +2 |
| 8 | Ole Miss | 9-2 | 1,049 | +2 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 10-1 | 1,010 | +2 |
| 10 | Baylor | 9-2 | 977 | +3 |
| 11 | Oregon | 9-2 | 864 | -6 |
| 12 | Iowa | 9-2 | 722 | +2 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 9-2 | 698 | -5 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 8-3 | 683 | +2 |
| 15 | BYU | 9-2 | 675 | – |
| 16 | Houston | 10-1 | 572 | +1 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh | 9-2 | 507 | +2 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 8-3 | 485 | +2 |
| 19 | Utah | 8-3 | 478 | +6 |
| 20 | UTSA | 11-0 | 475 | -2 |
| 21 | Wake Forest | 9-2 | 404 | -9 |
| 22 | San Diego State | 10-1 | 257 | +1 |
| 23 | UL-Lafayette | 10-1 | 236 | -1 |
| 24 | NC State | 8-3 | 196 | – |
| 25 | Kentucky | 8-3 | 91 | +1 |
Dropped from the rankings:
No. 22 Arkansas
Others receiving votes:
Arkansas 67; Clemson 56; Mississippi State 42; Penn State 22; Appalachian State 20; Purdue 10; Coastal Carolina 9; Air Force 9; Oregon State 2
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