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Penn State

Where does Penn State rank in the final Associated Press Poll this season?

Mug-Shot 4x4by: Ryan Snyder01/09/24RyanSnyderOn3
kaytron-allen-penn-state-football-3-on3
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

The 2023 season didn’t end the way Penn State’s players and fans would’ve hoped. After losing to Ohio State and Michigan during the regular season, the Nittany Lions returned to a New Year’s Six bowl for the fifth time in the past eight years under head coach James Franklin.

However, the Nittany Lions couldn’t get the job done this year in the Peach Bowl, losing to Ole Miss, 38-25, and finishing the season with a 10-3 record.

Following Monday night’s national championship, which saw Big Ten foe Michigan take home the honor of the best team in the country, the Associated Press released its final poll of the season. Penn State moved down three spots following the loss to finish the season ranked No. 13.

With plenty of returning talent, expectations coming into 2023 were the highest we’ve seen under Franklin’s leadership since 2017. With former five-star quarterback Drew Allar starting for the first time, plus two excellent running backs in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, fans hoped this would be the year the Lions get past their Big Ten East rivals.

Defensively, Penn State lived up to those expectations most of the season, ranking among the best in the nation in multiple key statistics. Offensively, the Lions found success against the teams they were supposed to beat. However, against Ohio State in October, they didn’t score a touchdown until the final 30 seconds of the game. They also managed to score just nine points against Michigan until a late touchdown with under two minutes to play made the final score 24-15. The following day, Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. That’s the first time Franklin has let a coach go during the season.

With both Washington and Michigan meeting in the national championship game, the future looks bright for the Big Ten. In addition to Ohio State, newcomers Oregon and Washington finished in the Top 10 nationally. USC and UCLA both received votes in the final poll, while Iowa finished No. 24.

Nittany Lion fans can check out the final Associated Press Poll for the season below.

Final Associated Press Poll for 2023-2024 Season

1) Michigan
2) Washington
3) Texas
4) Georgia
5) Alabama
T-6) Oregon
T-6) Florida State
8) Missouri
9) Ole Miss
10) Ohio State
11) Arizona
12) LSU
13) Penn State

14) Notre Dame
15) Oklahoma
16) Oklahoma State
17) Tennessee
18) Kansas State
19) Louisville
20) Clemson
21) N.C. State
22) SMU
23) Kansas
24) Iowa
25) Liberty

Others Receiving Votes: Oregon St. 96, West Virginia 90, Tulane 76, James Madison 52, Southern Cal 35, Memphis 32, Utah 14, Troy 10, Air Force 8, Toledo 7, Duke 6, Kentucky 4, UCLA 4, Miami (Ohio) 4, UTSA 3, Wyoming 2, Northwestern 2, Ohio 1.

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