How Far Penn State Fell in the Week 6 College Football Polls

Penn State fell in the major college football polls Sunday after its double-overtime loss to Oregon, one that reshaped the Big Ten championship race. The Nittany Lions (3-1) now face a likely must-win scenario at Ohio State on Nov. 1 to have a chance of returning to Indianapolis for the title game.

The loss was Penn State's earliest in a season (2020 aside) since 2016, when the team fell to Pitt in a Week 2 non-conference game. That year, the Nittany Lions rebounded from that and another loss to Michigan to win the Big Ten title.

"The way college football is today, there's going to be very few teams that finish the end of the season unscathed," Penn State coach James Franklin said. "We’ve got to learn from this. We need to have a great week next week. We’ve got to tune out all the noise, and we’ve got to get better from this and get on a roll for the rest of the season."

Here's where Penn State stands in the Week 6 college football rankings.

AP Top 25

Penn State fell four spots to No. 7, its lowest ranking since Sept. 29, 2024, when the team also was ranked seventh. The Nittany Lions received 1,179 points in the AP Top 25 poll, ahead of Indiana, Texas and Alabama in the top 10.

Penn State is the highest-ranked one-loss team in the Week 6 poll. Oregon moved up to No. 2 after ending Penn State's six-game win streak in the White Out.

THE WEEK 6 AP TOP 25 IS OUT 🚨

Which team's ranking is the most surprising? pic.twitter.com/hb6HvJD0C2
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 28, 2025

Coaches Poll

Penn State also fell four spots in the Coaches Poll, from second to sixth, but didn't tumble as far as Georgia did following its loss to Alabama. The Nittany Lions earned 1,192 points from the coaches, just ahead of Texas, in the Week 6 poll. Oregon replaced Penn State at No. 2.

ESPN College Football Power Index

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore carries the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State fell one spot to No. 11 in ESPN's College Football Power Index one week after dropping three spots during the bye. More importantly, Penn State's chances to make the College Football Playoff took a major hit

According to the FPI, Penn State has a 22.6-percent chance to make the 12-team field, down from 38.8 percent last week. The FPI also lowered Penn State's chance to make the title game from 6.6 percent to 2.8 percent. The Nittany Lions have a 1.5 percent chance of winning out.

ESPN's playoff predictions

ESPN's Heather Dinich dropped Penn State to No. 12 in her latest playoff predictor, ostensibly making it the last team in the field. According to Dinich, "the Nittany Lions are a talented team, but they don't have the résumé to show for it."

Massey Ratings

Penn State wide receiver Devonte Ross hauls in a pass under cover from Oregon Ducks defensive back Aaron Flowers. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here's a bitter pill. Unbeaten Missouri, led by former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, is No. 13 in the latest Massey Ratings, one spot ahead of the Nittany Lions. Penn State plummeted nine spots to No. 14. The good news: Penn State's strength of schedule, which ranked 136th and last in college football last week, improved to 56th after the loss to now-No. 2 Oregon.

Up next

Penn State hits the road for the first time this seson, visiting winless UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Penn State opened as a 24-point favorite over the Bruins.