For the first time this season, Penn State isn’t No. 7.

Penn State football was ranked No. 6 in this week’s AP Poll, the Associated Press announced Sunday. Previously, the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 7.

JUST IN: @PennStateFball jumped one spot to No. 6 in the @AP_Top25 Poll. pic.twitter.com/NoLVvrEZOl

— Onward State (@OnwardState) September 24, 2023

Penn State most recently pulled off a 31-0 shutout in the White Out on Saturday, its first shutout of an AP Top-25 team since 1999.

Before that, the Nittany Lions took down Illinois in a 30-13 victory in its first road game of the year. Penn State also has wins over the Delaware Blue Hens and the West Virginia Mountaineers, bringing the team to 4-0.

James Franklin’s team is one of three Big Ten teams to appear in the rankings, with Michigan (No. 2) and Ohio State (No. 4) ranked ahead of the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes were ranked last week but fell out of the top 25 after their loss to Penn State. The Nittany Lions leapfrogged USC, who dropped three spots this week to land at No. 8.

The blue and white will hit the road to face Northwestern in their last game before the bye week. After the bye, Penn State will challenge UMass at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, at Beaver Stadium.