Penn State football will learn its initial College Football Playoff fate tonight, just a few days after suffering one more disheartening defeat to the rival Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) should still be in a good rankings place. They should be positioned to either host or go on the road for an opening-round game in the expanded, 12-team playoff that begins the weekend before Christmas.
That standing should hold, if not improve slightly, as long as they win-out as the favored team this month against Washington, Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland.
Of course, they could use an uptick in offensive production and symmetry led by quarterback Drew Allar, tight end Tyler Warren and tailbacks Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Lions most need improved play from their lackluster receiving corps that was rendered nearly useless against the Buckeyes.
Penn State must now regroup for a Saturday night White Out that will set some unique viewing history. The Lions will play the 5-4 Washington Huskies in Beaver Stadium, in an 8 p.m. game that will be aired only on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.
Penn State football CFP rankings projection
Penn State seems to be a good fit in the No. 7 or No. 8 spots in tonight’s first rankings.
That would enable it to host a first-round playoff game in Beaver Stadium against the likes of Notre Dame, Indiana or an SEC team like Tennessee or Alabama.
College Football Playoff rankings release date
The first weekly CFP rankings will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 5
What time is CFP rankings?
The rankings will be released at 7 p.m.
How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show
The rankings can be viewed on ESPN.
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
There are 12 teams in the expanded CFP — the five highest-seeded conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams.
How to buy White Out tickets: Penn State football tickets vs. Washington: Best prices for remaining available seats
How does College Football Playoff format work?
The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn the playoff’s top seeds and a first-round bye. The other eight teams will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the game on campus or at another site “designated by the higher-seeded institution.”
Any team that does not earn a first-round bye will have to win four straight games to win the national championship.
The playoffs begin on Dec. 20-21 with matchups between the No. 12 and No. 5 teams; No. 11 vs. No. 6; No. 10 vs. No. 7; and No. 9 vs. No. 8.
The rest of the games will be played at traditional bowl sites with the quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and semifinals the following week.
The CFP National Championship will be in Atlanta’s in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: CFP rankings projections for Penn State football: What it means
