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College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 After National Championship

By Zach Bigalke

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scores a touchdown on an 8 yard run past against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) scores a touchdown on an 8 yard run past against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second quarter in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs against USC Trojans defensive back Adoree' Jackson (2) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs against USC Trojans defensive back Adoree’ Jackson (2) during the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Penn State ended up losing on a last-second field goal to USC in the Rose Bowl, and the voters are unlikely to drop them in the final the AP Top 25. After scoring 28 unanswered points on either side of halftime and building a 15-point lead, the Nittany Lions collapsed late. Saquon Barkley exploded for 306 all-purpose yards and three scores. Trace McSorley added 254 passing yards and five total touchdowns. But it wasn’t enough to hold off Sam Darnold and the Trojans, who got a chance to win with a field goal on the last play of regulation thanks to McSorley’s third interception of the game.

That should in no way dismiss what James Franklin and his crew accomplished in 2016. The Nittany Lions lost its first two road games of the season, at Pitt by three and at Michigan by 39. They were never supposed to challenge, much less usurp, the restored powerhouses in Ann Arbor and Columbus. Instead, they upset Ohio State in October and held off the Buckeyes and Wolverines for the division title.

A young team came out of nowhere in 2016 to thwart the ambitions of both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. They could have a harder time repeating as Big Ten champions in 2017, but nobody will be sleeping on the Nittany Lions like they were this season.

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