AP Top 25 College Football Poll 2011: Penn State Enters at No. 23

The Penn State Nittany Lions have earned a spot in the second edition of the AP Poll following Week 1 of the college football season.

The rise to ranked status was due in part to the Nittany Lions' lopsided victory over the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday. The rise can also be associated with Notre Dame's Week 1 loss and the Auburn Tigers' nail-biter against the non-Texas A&M Aggies (better known as Utah State).

On Saturday, Penn State defeated the Sycamores 41-7. Paterno's bunch took care of business early and showed periods of dominance throughout the game.

The largest question looming before their matchup against FCS opponent Indiana State was the quarterback situation. After this week, the situation is slightly less murky.

Rob Bolden was able to start the game, but went 6-of-12 for just 37 yards. The offense seemed out of sync with Bolden on the field, and Bolden looked scared to make a mistake.

Matt McGloin took over in relief and went 6-of-8 for 77 yards. The offense seemed more focused, more crisp and overall more dangerous once McGloin took the field.

Expect McGloin to get the nod this week as the Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions are definitely glad to find themselves among the 25 best teams in the nation. With the mammoth matchup in Week 2 it could be short lived, but either way it feels good to see concrete progress on paper.

If the Nittany Lions can pull off the upset against the third-ranked Crimson Tide, fans can expect a much more drastic jump in the rankings heading into Week 3.