Penn State was ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 College Football Poll and No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, both of which were released Sunday. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 3 in both polls before their loss to the Buckeyes.

But from this point forward, the College Football Playoff rankings are the ones that matter, though the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll are solid indicators of the program’s perception around the country.

By checking in at No. 6, Penn State appears to be in good shape for a berth in the 12-team field. The field will feature the conference champions from the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12, along with the highest-ranked conference champion from a Group of Five school (AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt).

The rest of the field will be filled out by seven at-large bids. Given where Penn State sits in the Big Ten standings — fourth place behind Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State — the Nittany Lions are fighting for an at-large berth.

Penn State’s ranking also appears to have the Nittany Lions in position to host a first-round game at Beaver Stadium next month.

– Daniel Gallen, 247sports.com