Penn State Football has moved up in the polls, following an ugly 17-7 win over Northwestern on Saturday afternoon.
The Nittany Lions are off to a 5-0 start, although the last two games have looked less than optimal.
Penn State is now ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, and No. 10 in the Coaches Poll as they head into the bye week.
Here are key takeaways on Penn State Football climbing the rankings:
Key Movements in the Poll
Biggest Risers:
Seven new teams entered the Poll this week with TCU (17), UCLA (18), Kansas (19), Syracuse (22), Mississippi State (23), Cincinnati (24) and LSU (25).
Wake Forest moved up 7 spots to No. 15 after their win over a ranked Florida State squad. Ole Miss increased 5 spots and entered the Top 10 after their win to No. 9. Kansas State moved up to No. 20 after winning this weekend over Texas Tech.
The most intriguing move of the week was Alabama jumping Georgia for the No. 1 spot, and are currently 2 total votes ahead after the Bulldogs’ struggled against Missouri.
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Biggest Fallers:
Just like many new teams entered the poll plenty fell after a rocky weekend for those ranked No. 15 through No. 25.
Baylor (16), Texas A&M (17), Oklahoma (18), Arkansas (20), Minnesota (21), Florida State (23), and Pittsburgh (24) all fell out of the AP Poll this week.
Washington dropped 6 spots to No. 21 after their loss to UCLA. Kentucky fell 6 spots to No. 13 after losing to Ole Miss. NC State fell 4 spots to No. 14 after losing to top-5 Clemson.
What will it take for Penn State to move up in the poll?
The Nittany Lions enter the bye week ranked inside the top 10.
There isn’t anything the team can do this week except root for the teams ranked ahead to lose.
The real focus needs to be coming up with a game plan to defeat No. 4 Michigan as that result will most likely set the tone for the season.
Key Games to watch Week 6:
No. 8 Tennessee @ No. 25 LSU 12:00pm/ESPN
Both teams are rolling, as the Volunteers are off to a 4-0 start and a top 10 ranking while the Tigers have rebounded from their opening loss rattling off 4 straight wins.
Tennessee is lucky that this game is at noon, nobody wants to play in Death Valley at night.
The Volunteers open as a 4-point road favorite. Penn State Football fans should be cheering for the Tigers in this game to help move up in the rankings heading into Ann Arbor.
No. 17 TCU @ No. 19 Kansas 12:00pm/FS1
While this game doesn’t have much of an impact on Penn State Football’s ranking, it certainly is the most fun matchup of the week.
Kansas is finally ranked for the first time in over a decade after their 5-0 start and even has College gameday arriving in Lawrence for the first time ever. TCU opens as a 5-point road favorite.
No. 11 Utah @ No. 18 UCLA 3:30pm/FOX
The Utes are 1 spot behind Penn State Football, so a win could potentially help them jump the Nittany Lions in the polls.
UCLA is coming off a big win over Washington on Friday night and looks to turn the corner by taking on one of the best teams in the PAC 12.
Penn State Football fans should root for UCLA to take care of business at home. Utah is a 3.5 point road favorite.
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