Two years after sanctions threatened to cripple the program, Penn State has an eye on a spot in the polls.
The Nittany Lions as one of the top 25 teams in the country?
Just the thought of a ranked Penn State team seemed improbable in 2012 when the NCAA levied the type of punishments against the program that should have been a virtual death sentence. Among the big hits in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal were scholarship reductions and bowl game banishments.
Coming off a win against Central Florida, Penn State received enough votes in the AP Top 25 to finish in a three-way tie for “29th.”
No. 25 Louisville earned 141 points; Penn State, Mississippi St. and Florida all received 49.