College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll

On a day when favorites struggled around the country, No. 4 Penn State survived its trap game in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes were up late, but a Trace McSorley touchdown in the final seconds sealed the fourth victory of the year for the Nittany Lions. It was a defensive struggle for most of the game, as Penn State’s defense held the Hawkeyes to 273 yards of offense at Kinnick Stadium.

Saquon Barkley was the catalyst for Penn State’s squeaker of a win. The tailback rushed for 211 yards and a score. Barkley also caught 12 passes for 94 yards, and had three kick returns for another 54 yards. It was yet another all-around dominant performance by the Heisman contender in Happy Valley.

Penn State won’t climb this week, but they could also hold position at No. 4 as the teams on either side of them swap positions. James Franklin‘s team is hardly perfect, but they still look like the best team in the Big Ten at this point of the year.