Penn State Still Making Impact on the College Football Playoff

Penn State won't return to the College Football Playoff this season but continues to have an impact on the field nevertheless. The Nittany Lions are affecting rankings and seeds even as they attempt to avoid a sub-.500 season.

The College Football Playoff selection released its third set of weekly rankings Tuesday, in which Oregon (9-1) was ranked seventh ahead of two-loss teams Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama. In a media call after the rankings release, Selection Committee chair Hunter Yurachek was asked about the Ducks, who have not beaten a team in the current top-25 rankings. Yurachek highlighted Oregon's win at Penn State September as a key point on its resume.

"They had a really big win at Iowa two weeks ago. Iowa was ranked in our top 25 previously," Yurachek said of Oregon. "They won at Penn State. I know Penn State is not the same Penn State we expected them to be this year. Still, it's a very challenging place to play, as evidenced by Indiana having to have a last-second touchdown to win there a couple weeks ago. There was significant discussion about that, but Oregon at 9-1 just stayed one spot ahead of Oklahoma at 8."

So even to the CFP selection committee, Penn State remains one of the nation's toughest teams to decipher. The Nittany Lions (4-6) ended a six-game losing streak last week with a 28-10 win over Michigan State. After giving up a touchdown on the game's opening play, Penn State held the Spartans to a field goal and put away the game with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

November 1️⃣8️⃣ College Football Playoff Selection Committee Rankings#CFBPlayoff 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/6VWsejrKQr
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 19, 2025

The win followed Penn State's best performance of the season, to which Yurachek referenced, in a 27-24 loss to Indiana. The Nittany Lions led the nation's second-ranked team with under a minute remaining, until the Hoosiers uncorked college football's play of the season to remain unbeaten.

Penn State played Indiana closer than anyone has this season, took Oregon to double overtime and is one of only two teams to score two touchdowns against Ohio State this season. As Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith has said, the Nittany Lions are this close to being in the playoff conversation.

“We’re all wanting the plays to go our way,” Smith said after Penn State lost to Indiana. “We’re talking blades of grass right back to the Oregon game.”

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Terry Smith reacts after running back Nicholas Singleton's touchdown vs. Indiana. — Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Terry Smith reacts after running back Nicholas Singleton (10) scored a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

No college football team has walked the tightrope more than Penn State this season. Once ranked second in the AP Top 25, the Nittany Lions lost five straight games, three before firing head coach James Franklin, who was introduced this week as Virginia Tech's new head coach.

But Penn State absorbed five of their six losses (not counting Ohio State) by a combined 16 points. They lost back-to-back games by one point (to Northwestern and Iowa) for the first time in school history. They had the ball with a chance win, take the lead or tie the game in the fourth quarter or overtime in five of their losses.

As a result, the Nittany Lions continue to have a secondary affect on the College Football Playoff. And though they won't make the field, Penn State remains a top-20 team in one other ranking. ESPN's SP+, a predictive measurement of a team's ability to win games, has Penn State at No. 19 in its latest edition. Penn State is the only team in the top-30 with a losing record.

Penn State seeks to extend is win streak to two games Saturday, when it hosts Nebraska for its final home game of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

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