Penn State was temporarily #1 in the pairwise a week ago Saturday morning, but fell back to #2 after Saturday’s games. By virtue of a bye this week coupled with former #1 Minnesota-Duluth’s loss, the Nittany Lions wind up back in the #1 slot, but this time will hold onto it for at least a week, and likely through the holidays.

It’s still very early in the season, but holding onto at least a top 11-12 position in the Pairwise is all important, given that it mimics the selection criteria used by the NCAA selection committee for at-large berths in the tournament.

Complete rankings: PairWise Rankings D-I Men :: Rankings :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online