After a rough week of college football across the board, highlighted by then No. 13-Penn State football’s loss to Wisconsin, the AP poll has shifted drastically.

Despite a 24-20 loss after leading by 17 points during the first half, the Nittany Lions are a very capable team. Plenty of teams ranked in the AP poll are ones I believe Penn State would beat on a neutral field.

While they might not be playing like a traditionally ranked team, I think they are better than multiple teams that made the top 25 this week.

Here’s a look at teams ranked ahead of the Nittany Lions that I think Penn State would beat.

No. 9 Ole Miss (3-1)

Penn State is better than Ole Miss in a few ways, but most importantly, on defense.

Despite the No. 9 ranking, the Rebels’ defense gave up 52 points against then-No. 21 Florida just this past Saturday.

Penn State’s defense currently holds opponents to just 46 points total over four games — 11.50 points per game (PPG) — while allowing 147 points across the board.

The Nittany Lion defense has also held opponents to just a 19.2% third-down conversion rate, though it has allowed opponents to convert on 83.3% of fourth downs.

The Ole Miss defense has allowed a whopping 30.75 points per game, while the offense has posted only 35.50 points per game.

Additionally, they may be better at stopping fourth-down conversions —a 50% conversion rate — but overall the Nittany Lion defense is stronger.

You know what they say, defense wins championships.

No. 14 Iowa (4-0)

Iowa is coming off a big ranked win against then-No. 18 Michigan, which catapulted them up the rankings after a last-minute touchdown, a play Michigan is all too familiar with.

The Hawkeye offense has averaged 29.31 points per game, while giving up 16.08 to opponents. As for the Nittany Lions, they’ve averaged 36.75 points through their first four games and have allowed only 11.50.

The Hawkeyes are also a very physical team that has seen penalty after penalty in each of their four games thus far — 39 total penalties costing them 391 yards. Penn State is less physical, with only 19 penalties for 176 yards lost.

The last statistic that puts the Nittany Lions above the Hawkeyes is that the Nittany Lions average 427.3 yards per game, whereas the Hawkeyes only average around 320.1.

This is highlighted by the fact that the Hawkeyes use a clock-draining strategy, where their main goal is to drain the clock rather than score if they don’t have to.

Statistically, the Nittany Lions are a stronger team than the Hawkeyes, keeping opponent scoring to a minimum and flags in the referees’ pockets.

No. 16 Mississippi State (4-0)

Penn State shines in defensive third-down conversions, holding opponents to a 16.2% conversion rate. Mississippi State allows opponents to convert 31.75% on third downs and 63.64% on fourth downs. These numbers keep the defense on the field, leading to fatigue.

The Nittany Lions’ secondary has also been exceptional this season. They’ve limited opponents to roughly 126.3 passing yards per game, while the Bulldogs allow just under 250 through the air.

Penn State isn’t set to face Mississippi State; however, I think Penn State would have the edge if they did.

No. 21 SMU (3-1)

One thing Penn State has done well is quickly force teams into tough situations early, notably producing three-and-outs.

Penn State’s opponents have seen 56 first downs in the first four games, averaging 14 per game, which just edges out SMU at roughly 16 first downs per game.

Despite allowing only 16 first downs per game, SMU tends to give up long, extended drives, as was clear in their last game against Missouri State.

On the other side of the ball, SMU does have a high-powered passing game with quarterback Kevin Jennings, which could prove difficult for the Nittany Lions’ secondary.

With that said, we all know how Jennings does against real defenses like the Nittany Lions.

These two programs last met in the first round of the College Football Playoffs in 2024, when then-No. 10 SMU traveled to Happy Valley to play No. 4 Penn State.

Penn State won 38-10 and led 28-0 at halftime. I’d expect a similar result if they met this season.

Where Should Penn State Rank?

I believe the numbers given above also hold true for those final few teams in the rankings (No. 22-25).

Now, after losing to Wisconsin, should Penn State be unranked? Some believe it’s justified, but after No. 21 Florida skyrocketed to the top ten after beating No. 4 Ole Miss, Penn State should not be unranked.

They still received votes in this week’s top 25 poll, showing that some voters still feel they’re worthy.

And as do I. After recapping everything I listed above, I feel strongly that Penn State is still a top 15 team in the poll.