College Football Rankings 2020: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 6
By Zach Bigalke
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 8. 806. 0-0. idle in Week 5. Penn State Nittany Lions. player
Penn State took advantage of hard falls by Oklahoma and LSU to climb up all the way to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 for Week 5. After opening the season at No. 7 in the poll, the Nittany Lions regained most of their position despite the fact that they remain sidelined for three more weeks. Even after losing defensive dynamo Micah Parsons to a COVID-19 opt-out, Penn State remains the team best equipped to challenge Ohio State in the Big Ten East.
Key to any charge toward a College Football Playoff berth in Happy Valley will be the continued improvement of an offense that ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring last season. Journey Brown, Noah Cain, and Devyn Ford make up one of the deepest backfields in the league, and Pat Freiermuth’s decision to return at tight end also fortified the Nittany Lions offense.
A season opener on the road against Indiana presents a tough test, but that won’t come until October 24. One of the biggest stories to watch over the next few weeks is whether James Franklin’s team can maintain a top-10 spot as they remain sidelined through the first half of October.