After a rollercoaster of a regular season, Penn State is back on the national radar - just barely, but back nonetheless.
The Nittany Lions picked up five points in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, released Sunday, placing them in the “others receiving votes” category. That unofficially ties them for 37th with TCU - not a spot to hang a banner over, but a sign that the program is at least trending in the right direction as bowl season approaches.
This marks the second straight week Penn State has received votes in the Coaches Poll. Last week, they earned four points, tying for 34th with Illinois and UConn.
That might not sound like much, but considering where this team was just a month ago, it’s progress. Before last week, the Lions hadn’t shown up in the voting since early October - specifically, the Oct. 4 poll following a road loss to UCLA, when they were still clinging to a No. 22 ranking.
It’s been a season of extremes for Penn State. Back on Sept. 21, they were riding high at No. 2 in the Coaches Poll, undefeated and looking like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
Then came the double-overtime loss to Oregon in the White Out - a gut-punch that kicked off a six-game losing streak and ultimately led to the dismissal of head coach James Franklin on Oct. 12.
Since then, interim head coach Terry Smith has gone 3-3, stabilizing the ship just enough to get the Lions to 6-6 and bowl eligible. His tenure started with a brutal stretch - losses at Iowa, at No.
1 Ohio State, and at home against No. 2 Indiana.
But Smith and his team responded, finishing the regular season with three straight wins over Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers.
Saturday’s 40-36 win over Rutgers in Piscataway was far from perfect, but it was gritty, and it capped off a needed turnaround. The offense found rhythm, the defense made just enough stops, and the team showed the kind of resolve that had been missing during the midseason slide.
While the Coaches Poll gave Penn State a nod, the Associated Press Top 25 wasn’t as generous - the Lions didn’t receive a single vote there. Still, the Coaches Poll is voted on by a panel of 63 FBS coaches, and getting recognition from peers in the profession - even in small doses - carries some weight.
The full Coaches Poll remains stacked at the top, with Ohio State firmly holding the No. 1 spot, earning all 63 first-place votes. Indiana, Georgia, Oregon, and Ole Miss round out the top five. The Big Ten continues to flex its muscle nationally, with multiple teams in the top tier and others like Iowa also receiving significant votes (85, to be exact).
For Penn State, the focus now shifts to bowl selection. With six wins and some late-season momentum, they’ll be heading somewhere - the destination will be revealed next week. It won’t be a New Year’s Six bowl, but after the season they’ve had, just playing in December (or early January) is a win in itself.
It’s been a season of highs, lows, and everything in between for the Nittany Lions. But with the losing streak in the rearview mirror and a bowl game on the horizon, there’s at least a sense that Penn State is back on its feet - and maybe, just maybe, starting to climb again.