After weeks of no movement for Penn State in the USA TODAY power rankings, things changed after the events of Week 9. The Nittany Lions changed places with Ohio State and find themselves in the top 3 in Paul Myerberg’s update 1-134 power rankings.
Penn State used a dominant second half to defeat Wisconsin and did so without starting quarterback Drew Allar. Ohio State, on the other hand, struggled to beat Nebraskaand the Cornhuskers controlled the game by slowing down the Buckeyes’ running game.
The Nittany Lions now only rank behind Oregon And Georgia. Indiana, at No. 13, joins Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State as the fourth Big Ten program to be ranked in the top 15.
After losing to Kennesaw State, Liberty fell 18 spots to No. 50, while Oklahoma State fell to No. 83 after losing to Baylor. Iowa was one of the biggest gainers in the Big Ten, moving up nine spots to 34th.
Penn State is ranked as the second-best team in the Big Ten heading into this weekend’s crucial game against Ohio State. A win would give the Nittany Lions a prime path to the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff.
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