With the announcement of the final AP Poll and College Football Playoff rankings prior to postseason play on Sunday, it is officially judgment day in college football.
Penn State dropped two spots from last week’s ranking to No. 5 in the AP Top 25. Being rated behind Notre Dame and Texas, the Nittany Lions could theoretically drop from being the No. 5 or 6 seed in the CFP to the No. 7.
Although the AP Poll is a prelude to the real CFP rankings show, which airs on ESPN at noon, it may provide a clue as to the committee’s ranking position.
If Ohio State had dominated Michigan, Penn State wouldn’t have had to participate in the league championship game, losing to No. 1 Oregon 45-37 by just one possession. It might set a contentious precedent for the College Football Playoff committee to drop the Lions below their initial ranking before they play one more game.
In any case, when the rankings are finalized, Penn State ought to be hosting a first-round match.
The Nittany Lions will wait to hear their opponent in the first round later Sunday afternoon after finishing 11-2 during the conference championship weekend.
Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, Tennessee, Indiana, Alabama, and Clemson would be the 12 College Football Playoff teams’ seeds if the AP Poll were applied. In this case, Penn State would play Indiana.
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