The College Football Playoff Committee released its first rankings of the 2024 season on Tuesday and maintained a weakness for State of Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 6 in the inaugural rankings, keeping them on track to host a first-round game in December at Beaver Stadium. And if the top rankings hold, Penn State’s opponent could be Notre Damem, which is ranked 10th in the top rankings.

Penn State (7-1) is among four Big Ten teams in the top 10, joining No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 9 Indiana. The Nittany Lions were three spots ahead of the Hoosiers, who are among the four undefeated teams remaining in the Power 4.

However, it is instructive to note that the playoff standings and tournament seedings in December will be different. The top four conference champions will receive first-round byes, and the losing teams from the Big Ten and SEC title games are projected to receive the fifth and sixth playoff spots. That’s why Penn State is seeded No. 7 for the 12-team tournament, potentially to face Notre Dame at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State has been a strong playoff contender all season, which the early rankings underscored. The Nittany Lions’ only loss was a one-possession decision against No. 2 Ohio State. However, Penn State does not have a win over a team that is currently in the CFP Top 25.

Penn State does not play Oregon or Indiana during the regular season. The Nittany Lions close with four games against Washington, Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland.

“The reality of college football is that we still have everything ahead of us,” Penn State coach James Franklin said after the Nittany Lions game. 20-13 loss to the Buckeyes“And we have to do a great job making the corrections, eliminating the unforced errors that happened today, and then we have to find a way to get a win next week at home, and everything is good.” Still in front of us.”

Penn State found a good place in the early rankings, although they will be fluid. The Nittany Lions don’t have much of a chance to improve their seeding as they don’t play a ranked team in the final four weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Indiana play in Columbus on Nov. 23.

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