Penn State football was ranked No. 10 in the latest College Football Playoff poll Tuesday night. The ranking comes after the Nittany Lions torched Michigan State 42-0 on Black Friday in Detroit.

A 24-15 loss against No. 2 Michigan two weeks ago handed Penn State its second loss of the season, essentially eliminating it from College Football Playoff contention. No two-loss team has ever made the competition.

Penn State’s first loss was a 20-12 defeat at No. 6 Ohio State, and the Nittany Lions’ failure to produce offense in those two games led to the firing of now-former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich after the defeat against the Wolverines. Yurcich went 0-6 against the Buckeyes and Wolverines in nearly three seasons on the job.

Despite its elimination from playoff contention, Penn State is still viewed as a likely invite to a New Year’s Six bowl game. The most frequently mentioned possibility is an inaugural trip to the Peach Bowl, while the Nittany Lions have also been projected to appear at the Fiesta Bowl for the first time since 2017 and the Cotton Bowl for the first time since 2019. If selected, it would be James Franklin’s fifth appearance at a New Year’s Six bowl game.

No. 1 Georgia, Michigan, No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 5 Oregon make up the top five, while Ohio State, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Alabama, and No. 9 Missouri round out the rest of the teams ranked above Penn State. No. 16 Iowa is the only other ranked Big Ten team. 

The final College Football Playoff rankings will be released at noon on Sunday, December 3, on ESPN.