Penn State football stays in top 4 for final week of the regular season after avoiding upset bid

After a close call in Minneapolis, Penn State football continues its quest for the postseason. The Nittany Lions remain ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll heading into the final week of the regular season. It marks the program’s third consecutive week in the top five.

The path to the College Football Playoff almost became much more perilous for the Nittany Lions, trailing Minnesota through the midway point of the third quarter Saturday evening.

Eventually holding a 26-25 lead with 5:48 remaining, the Penn State assembled a 12-play, 72-yard game-ending drive. The final possession included three successful fourth-down conversions, including a fake punt, which true freshman Luke Reynolds sprung for a 32-yard gain.

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“I just felt like we needed to try to end the game on our terms with the ball in our hand,” James Franklin said postgame. “Give them [Minnesota] a ton of credit. They did a good job of producing yards and finding a way [to be in the game]. Their field goal kicker was back to the guy from last year. Started out the season a little rocky but was kicking the ball very, very well tonight and the second half of season’s been kicking well.

“So I just felt like, [we needed to] be aggressive; end the game on our terms, with the ball in our hands, and those things. As I told you guys before, I’ll click over and talk to the defense as well and get their thoughts. So just proud of our guys.”

The full AP top 25 is as follows:

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5.  Notre Dame
6.  Georgia
7.  Tennessee
8.  Miami
9.  SMU
10.  Indiana
11.  Boise State
12.  Clemson
13.  Alabama
14.  Arizona State
15.  Ole Miss
16.  South Carolina
17.  Iowa State
18.  Tulane
19.  BYU
20.  Texas A&M
21.  UNLV
22.  Illinois
23.  Colorado
24.  Missouri
25.  Army

Penn State football also came in at No. 4 in the Coaches Poll earlier on Sunday.

© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

With the next College Football Playoff rankings coming out on Tuesday evening, the Nittany Lions appear destined for a first-round home game in Beaver Stadium pending a victory over Maryland next Saturday. Following Indiana’s first defeat and likely elimination losses by Alabama and Ole Miss, Penn State is in the driver’s seat to lock up one of the four higher-seeded at-large bids next weekend.

This week’s poll marks the seventh week that Penn State football has been ranked inside the top five of the AP Poll this season. The Nittany Lions have been ranked in the top five 179 times in the history of the AP Poll.

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