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NittanyCentral delivers expert analysis from veteran reporters and timely updates on Penn State sports, with in-depth coverage of Nittany Lions Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and more.

NittanyCentral

NittanyCentral delivers expert analysis from veteran reporters and timely updates on Penn State sports, with in-depth coverage of Nittany Lions Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and more.

Penn State Football Opens 2024 Season Inside Coaches Poll Top-10

James Franklin, Penn State Football
Daniel FisherPenn State Football,

Penn State Football is gearing up for 2024, and this year will be more difficult than in seasons past.

The Big Ten has expanded, adding four new teams: Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Washington, making Penn State‘s path to the College Football Playoff perhaps as difficult as ever, even with the tournament expanding to 12 teams.

Penn State Football
USC Trojans TB Ronald Jones II (4) scores on a 3-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter of the USC Trojans game versus the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl Game on January 2, 2017, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire)

The Nittany Lions will have to face USC, UCLA, and Washington on top of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. If they make the Big Ten title game, they will likely have to face Ohio State again or Oregon or Michigan, whom they will not meet in the regular season.

The Nittany Lions will be tested from the start.

Penn State Football 2024 Season Begins Inside Coaches Poll Top-10

Penn State Football, James Franklin
Penn State head coach James Franklin greets fans before the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in State College.

They have a great chance of making the 12-team College Football Playoff even with a strict schedule because of how great their team is and the coaches around college football; also noticed what Penn State can do this year because the Preseason Coaches Top 25 poll came out on Monday, and the Nittany Lions came in at number nine.

Penn State is the fourth-highest-ranked Big Ten team, with Ohio State ranked second, Oregon third, and Michigan eighth.

The coaches poll is an excellent way to see how the coaches around college football think about teams, and the Nittany Lions getting a Top Ten ranking from opposing coaches shows how much respect they have for them.

Even though Penn State was never able to make a four-team college football playoff, it was always in the running for a spot, and it will now be in the mix for one of the 12 playoff spots this season.

MORE: Penn State Commit Opens Up On Choosing Nittany Lions (EXCLUSIVE)

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Penn State Football Opens 2024 Season Inside Coaches Poll Top-10
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