PennLive's Johnny McGonigal projects the 12-team College Football Playoff after Week 12. What could the Nittany Lions' path be to a national title?

Penn State appears set in its enviable No. 4 ranking following the 49-10 beatdown of Purdue. No one lost above it, though Oregon came precariously close on the road. And the teams right behind PSU − No. 6 BYU and No. 7 Tennessee − each lost critical games and a shot at applying top-five pressure.

The Ducks were followed in the AP poll by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State, who beat Purdue, 49-10, on Saturday, and No. 5 Indiana for the second straight week. The top five could be due for a shakeup this week with Indiana visiting Ohio State for one of the most anticipated games of the season.