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Penn State rises to No. 2 in AP college football poll

Despite an idle weekend, a handful of big upsets helped the Nittany Lions leapfrog into the No. 2 spot, just behind Alabama.

Saquon Barkley and Penn State are ranked second in the latest AP poll.
Saquon Barkley and Penn State are ranked second in the latest AP poll.Read moreJOE HERMITT / AP, File

Although Penn State was idle last weekend, the Nittany Lions took advantage of the flurry of upsets in college football and rose to No. 2 in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Penn State (6-0) moved up one spot from last week after Clemson, previously the nation's second-ranked team, was upset Friday night at Syracuse. It is the Lions' highest ranking since Oct. 31, 1999, when they also were No. 2.

In all, seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, lost last weekend. Michigan almost made it eight as the Wolverines needed overtime to defeat Indiana, but they dropped in the poll from 17th to 19th. They now head to Happy Valley for a Big Ten showdown on Saturday night.

Penn State's next two opponents after the Michigan game both climbed three spots in the rankings. Ohio State rose from ninth to sixth after mauling Nebraska, while Michigan State moved up from 21st to 18th after winning at Minnesota.

Alabama was the unanimous No. 1 team, receiving all 61 first-place votes. Following the Crimson Tide and the Nittany Lions were Georgia, which trailed Penn State by 15 points, Texas Christian, and Wisconsin.