Today's

news headlines feature a look at where the PSU-Pitt rivalry ranks among the best in college football and where the Lions sit in the preseason Big Ten power rankings.

Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports

this season and gave Penn State-Pitt a mention. His reasoning: The Lions have huge expectations following a stunning 2016 season that might have ended with a College Football Playoff berth if it weren't for a 42-39 road loss to Pitt. Penn State gets Pitt at home this time around on Sept. 9.

Forde wrote:

They've met 97 times dating back to 1893, but the rivalry was dormant for 15 years before renewing last season. It was a memorable game that wound up having long-term effects on the national picture - Pitt pulled out a 42-39 thriller, a result that ultimately helped prevent the Big Ten champion Nittany Lions from making the playoff. This year Penn State has playoff aspirations and quite likely cannot afford another loss to the Panthers. (Note: Penn State hasn't beaten Pitt without some involvement from Joe Paterno - as head coach or assistant - since 1947.)

Penn State will defend its Big Ten title in 2017 with a deeper, more experienced team, a fact that

. Still, the Lions could be looking up at an Ohio State team widely assumed to return to the College Football Playoff. The Lions, who match up with the Buckeyes Oct. 28 in Columbus, checked in at No. 2 in Dienhart's Big Ten power rankings.

Dienhart wrote:

2. Penn State. The Nittany Lions are reigning kings of the Big Ten. And get this: The 2017 edition may be even better, especially on offense.

Up next: Akron

In other Penn State football news, the Lions are primed to win the Big Ten again, but can they run the table? Penn State has a plan to return to college football relevance, and the offense has a chance to be as explosive as the lauded 1994 attack.

PennLive's Bob Flounders, Greg Pickel and Dustin Hockensmith also talk Penn State football on the Keystone Sports Network. Check out audio from their latest podcast below.

Those headlines and more highlight today's Penn State football news roundup:

: Forde [Yahoo! Sports]

: Dienhart [BTN.com]

: Bodani [York Daily Record]

: Braziller [New York Post]

: Poorman [StateCollege.com]

: Flounders [PennLive]

: staff [Centre Daily Times]

: Peltier [SB Nation]

: Collins [Scranton Times-Tribune]

: Flounders [PennLive]

: Flounders [PennLive]

: Bonner [PennLive]

: Callahan [Lions 247]

: Bauer [Blue-White Illustrated]

: Owen [Blue-White Illustrated]

: Donohue [Land of 10]

: Donohue [Land of 10]

: Jones [StateCollege.com]

: Jones [Columbus Dispatch]

: Duber [CSN Chicago]

: McGonigal [Centre Daily Times]

: Abruzzese [Onward State]

: Leonard Jr. [Victory Bell Rings]

: Wieder [Victory Bell Rings]

: Stewart [Onward State]

Premium articles ($):

: staff [ESPN]