Penn State keeps top four spot in final USA TODAY Sports power rankings.
The college football world saw Ohio State defeat Notre Dame on Monday evening, becoming the national champions in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. As we put the finishing touches on the past season of college football, it is never a bad time to take a look at some final power rankings.
USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg reranks every FBS team each week of the college football season. He released his final rankings Tuesday morning following the Buckeyes’ victory over the Fighting Irish.
No one is surprised that Ohio State takes the top spot, followed by Notre Dame. But where do the semifinalists, the Penn State Nittany Lions, fall?
Despite losing to Notre Dame, Penn State saw no movement after the playoffs concluded and remains No. 4 in the final rankings. The Nittany Lions lost out on the No. 3 position to the Oregon Ducks, which seems fair considering that the Ducks beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. Myerberg did give Penn State the edge against Texas, the other semifinalist knocked out.
The Big Ten and the SEC make up 12 of the top 15 spots, highlighting the two conference’s dominance in college football.
Kent State, one of Penn State’s non-conference opponents this season, brings up the rear with an 0-12 record. Purdue is the lowest-ranked Power 4 team at No. 130 after recording only one win in 2024.
With much of its core contingent back next season, Penn State is once more positioned to become a top-four team in the sport.
