when history looks back at the 2022 Penn State football season, it will see a victory in the Rose Bowl capping an 11-2 season for the Nittany Lions that ultimately resulted in a top 10 finish in the polls. In the case of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, it will show Penn State finished as the no. 7 team in the country.
The final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday, a day after the College Football Playoff national championship rout by Georgia over TCU. Georgia claimed the national championship with the largest blowout victory in bowl game history to cement its status as no. 1 in the coaches poll. The rest of the top four teams were the remainder of the College Football Playoff participants with TCU at no. 2, Michigan at no. 3, and Ohio State at no. 4.
Coming in two spots ahead of the Nittany Lions were no. 5 Alabama and no. 6 Tennessee. The rest of the top 10 teams behind Penn State were no. 8 Washington, no. 9 Tulane, and no. 10 Florida State. Utah, whom Penn Strate topped in the Rose Bowl, finished in the no. 11 slot in the final coaches poll of the year.
Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State were once again the only Big Ten teams to be ranked by the coaches poll. Minnesota was second among others receiving votes and 12 points shy in the voting of no. 25, which went to Texas at 8-5.
Future Big Ten members USC (no. 13) and UCLA (no. 21) were among the five teams from the Pac-12 to finsih in the coaches poll.
See the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll in its entirety here.
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