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Penn State drops out of AP top 25 for the first time in years; Lions' Playoff path a 'tough sell': Newsstand

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel10/06/25GregPickel
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Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin directs a play during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State news, notes, and updates for Oct. 6 include the Lions falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in years, an unsurprisingly poor Playoff outlook, and more. It’s time to dive into Monday’s top tweets and headlines about James Franklin’s program and college athletics.

Penn State tweets of the day

We start with the latest polls. Penn State fell out of the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since the preseason rankings came out in 2022 following a 42-37 loss to UCLA. The shocking setback moved the Lions from No. 7, where they were going into the game with the Bruins, to No. 28, which puts them among the teams that received votes but not enough to make the first 25.

If you’re seeking good news, the team remains in the USA Today Coaches Poll. PSU checks in at No. 22 on that list. Either way, Franklin’s side took a major tumble, as expected, following the worst loss of his tenure in State College.

In other news, Sports Illustrated national college football reporter Pat Forde took a look at the Lions’ College Football Playoff outlook following a 3-2 start. And, as you can probably imagine, it is bleak.

“Realistically speaking, 9–3 is Penn State’s new ceiling,” Forde writes. “If the Nittany Lions can somehow beat Ohio State in Columbus for the first time since 2011, while also winning the rest of their games, the playoff is back in play. But a 9–3 mark with a weak non-conference schedule would be a tough sell—and there may well be other losses to come.”

Last but not least, the Penn State men’s hockey team swept Arizona State out of Mullett Arena over the weekend.

Headlines of the day

What is the Penn State-Northwestern point spread? Lions seek elusive first cover, Power 4 win: Pickel, BWI

First Impressions from Penn State’s disastrous loss to UCLA: Fitz, BWI

Penn State defense craters, exposing potential long-term issues in run defense: UCLA Film Study: Carr, BWI

How did Penn State’s players perform vs. UCLA? PFF Snap Counts & Grades: Fitz, BWI

Penn State is living a nightmare, Lions have all-time ‘what if’ roster, and more of what they’re saying after an upset at UCLA: Pickel, BWI

Penn State’s get-right game goes disastrously wrong in UCLA loss: Bauer, BWI

Quote of the day

“How did Penn State end up being the team that so many people thought was the best team in the country? Unlike some of the Texas and Florida narrative? I mean, it looked legitimate. “You’d have to agree that they had the quarterback coming back – of course the better quarterback may be at Missouri right now but nothing you can do about that. It looked like they had the roster. It looked like they had everything going for them. So, I can’t explain this because their predictions were not just built on fake hype. I mean, I think it was legitimate.”

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum on Penn State.