Penn State 31st in Preseason AP Poll

Penn State has a long way until it is perceived to be "back" among the upper-echelon of college football, which was made evident by the Nittany Lions falling short of the top 25 in the initial AP poll of the 2015 college football season. Penn State received 20 points, good for 31st overall between Minnesota and South Carolina.

Ohio State is the unanimous number-one selection, with Michigan State entering the season at number five, and Wisconsin at 21. No other Big Ten teams were ranked. Despite a poor showing in the bowls to close out the 2014 season, the SEC claims eight teams in the top 25, with Mississippi State and Texas A&M just missing out as the top two teams in the "also receiving votes" category. In addition to Penn State and Minnesota, Nebraska had six points while Michigan received two.

Minnesota's week one opponent, TCU, came in at number two with Alabama, Baylor and Michigan State rounding out the top five.