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Penn State football players run onto the field at Beaver Stadium before their 2025 opener vs. Nevada. Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State Is a Surprising Constant in the Week 2 College Football Polls

Originally posted on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI
By Mark Wogenrich | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:22 PM ET

Penn State played a relatively stress-free opener, scoring on nine consecutive possessions in a 46-11 win over Nevada to begin the 2025 season. Kind of surprisingly, the Nittany Lions weren't penalized for that. The coaches even rewarded Penn State.

Penn State, ranked third in the preseason Coaches Poll, moved up one spot to No. 2 in the first Coaches Poll of the regular season. The Nittany Lions remained at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 but upgraded their vote total from the preseason poll. In both cases, Penn State is ranked behind No. 1 Ohio State. Which means the potential for Thunderdome when the Nittany Lions visit the Buckeyes on Nov. 1.

Penn State initially received 14 first-place votes in the preseason Coaches Poll and a surprising six in the Week 2 poll. That despite Ohio State's 14-7 win over former No. 1 Texas and key wins from LSU and Miami. The Nittany Lions received seven first-place votes in the AP Top 25.

What to make of the first polls of the regular season? They're good signs that pollsters have a long-range view of the Nittany Lions, who won't play a marquee game until Sept. 27, when Oregon visits Beaver Stadium.

Penn State isn't penalized for its opener

Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two days before Penn State landed at No. 3 in the first Coaches Poll, Nittany Lions coach James Franklin dismissed what was about to happen. And he votes in the poll.

"No one — no one — cares about preseason rankings," Franklin said in early August. "Like, I'm not going to frame the preseason rankings and put it in my basement in the man cave. No one cares. No one cares."

The Nittany Lions generated plenty of preseason attention based on their 2024 finish (13-3 record, College Football Playoff semifinal appearance) and their exceptional rate of player return. As Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde wrote, Penn State has the roster to win it all this season.

However, the Nittany Lions can't win it all in their first three weeks. Penn State broke positive ground in its 46-11 opening win over Nevada, but the game didn't resonate in college football's consciousness amid a Week 1 schedule of top games.

No. 3 Ohio State defeated former No. 1 Texas, No. 9 LSU topped fourth-ranked Clemson and eighth-ranked Alabama fell to Florida State. Those results certainly shook the polls, but Penn State wasn't washed out by the other wins. The schedule did not affect Penn State negatively in the polls.

Penn State can't significantly impact voters for a while

Just a reminder for the AP voters…you are supposed to throw out everything you thought you knew from preseason and go with what you know now pic.twitter.com/QFjLpCxoYC
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) September 1, 2025

Note that the AP Top 25 voting guidelines suggest a strategy without telling voters specifically how to respond each week:

The AP allows wide latitude for voters to determine their rankings. They are urged to base their votes on performance, not reputation or preseason speculation; to avoid regional bias, for or against; to pay attention to head-to-head results; and to make significant changes if desired. Teams on NCAA probation are eligible for the AP poll.

The phrase "make significant changes if desired" is critical. Voters responded to the Week 1 results with significant changes, though not regarding Penn State. That could change, as Penn State's non-conference schedule allows only for significant negative movement. The Nittany Lions host FIU in their second game before taking on FCS Villanova in Week 3. Other marquee victories could reset Penn State's market.

Penn State won't have an opportunity to impress voters until its Sept. 27 Big Ten opener vs. Oregon at Beaver Stadium. Until then, enjoy the conversation and remember that the first truly important set of rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee will be released Nov. 4, three days after the Penn State-Ohio State game in Columbus.

Also, ESPN's College Football Power Index remained consistent after Week 1. Despite the loss to Ohio State, Texas held onto the top spot in the predictive model. And Penn State stayed at No. 5.