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College Football Playoff Rankings: Projected Top 10 after Week 13

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates after scoring the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines in the second overtime at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime.Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates after scoring the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines in the second overtime at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime.Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions football players carry the Land-Grant trophy following the competition of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions football players carry the Land-Grant trophy following the competition of the game at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

After finding out Ohio State had beaten Michigan in The Game, the Nittany Lions knew they had to just take care of business against a reeling Michigan State team in order to make their first trip to a Big Ten title game in its existence.

Penn State trailed 12-10 at halftime and it was looking like the Spartans might just pull off the upset and kill the hopes of the Nittany Lions, but James Franklin’s team came out firing in the second half, out-scoring the Spartans 35-0.

Trace McSorley had the best game of his career, passing for 376 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title game in his first year as the starter. This team has improved tenfold from the squad we saw at the beginning of the season that lost to Michigan by 39 points.

The win puts the Nittany Lions in a position to take down a potential top-five team in the country for the Big Ten championship and even use that as a play-in for the playoff. While a No. 7 vs. No. 5 matchup doesn’t necessarily mean a playoff berth, if one of the top four teams lose, the winner of the Big Ten Championship is likely in.

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