Penn State rides into the season's second half with an unbeaten record, a No. 3 ranking in the AP Top 25 and a rising algorithmic chance to make the College Football Playoff — according to ESPN, at least.

Penn State benefited from college football’s craziness this past weekend, receiving a bump in the polls and projections. The Nittany Lions now have a 62.4% chance to make the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN’s projections, up from 60.5% last week.

When Notre Dame football lost to Northern Illinois during Week 2, it looked like they had washed away its chances at making the College Football Playoff. Since the defeat, the Irish have reeled off 5-