Unranked Penn State? CFP chair Gary Barta explains why the Nittany Lions didn't crack the top 25

Another round of College Football Playoff Rankings has led to some more head-scratching results from the CFP Committee.

By now, it is a weekly ritual to second guess what the Committee churns out on Tuesday evening. It is understandable, considering how the criteria sometimes changes from week to week and from team to team.

This time around, the Committee continued to keep Penn State unranked and outside the top 25. While the Nittany Lions do have 3 losses, they also have wins over Wisconsin (No. 18) and Auburn (No. 17), fellow 3-loss teams that did crack the top 25.

Following the rankings reveal, CFP Committee chair Gary Barta was asked about Penn State on the media teleconference. While Barta admitted the team is tough to beat and the conversation was more involved this week, it was not enough to earn a top 25 spot.

Barta on why Penn State is not ranked: “We talked about them more than we did a week ago. They are in the conversation and the committee sees them as a tough team to play. When somebody beats Penn State, it’s seen as a good win.”

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 10, 2021

While the Committee still uses head to head in some instances – such as placing Oregon at No. 3 and Ohio State at No. 4 – it is clearly not something the Committee places a premium on. That was also evident in the decision to put Michigan ahead of Michigan State on the latest top 25.

Regardless of how the Committee feels, Penn State gets a prime opportunity to make a statement in Week 11. The Nittany Lions host No. 6 Michigan this weekend with a chance to dash Michigan’s B1G East hopes.