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All the teams that were ahead of the Nittany Lions played last week (that is, if you consider games against Mercer and The Citadel “games”), and all won; that, plus no super-impressive wins of teams behind them caused Penn State to stay at number ten for the second week in a row.
Ohio State (#9) and Wisconsin (#5) are still ahead of the Lions in the top ten. After the Badgers took care of Michigan (aided in no small part to the injury to Michigan’s true freshman starting quarterback), the Wolverines dropped back out of the rankings. Northwestern is also holding steady at #22 after blanking Minnesota last week, and Michigan State is still in at #16.
Despite last week’s surprise jump of PSU over, among others, USC, the committee apparently still stands by the decision.
Miami finally jumps Clemson to #2 this week as the Tigers fall to number three. No other changes happened in the top ten.
Side note: no one outside of the top six in the fourth rankings have made it into the playoff (*cough* Ohio State cough).