There was progress shown with the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2024 college football season. Penn State finished with an 11-1 record during the regular season and lost to the Oregon Ducks in the BIG10 Championship Game.
The Nittany Lions were the sixth seed in the college football playoffs, and they won two games. Penn State lost to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the semifinals. This was the closet that the Nittany Lions have been to the national championship in quite some time. This was a step in the right direction for head coach James Franklin and company despite the disappointing ending. Penn State is thinking they could be the third team from the BIG10 Conference in three years to potentially win it all.
College Football Analyst Lists Best-Case Scenario For Penn State Nittany Lions For the 2025 College Football Season
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports listed different best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios for each BIG10 Conference team for the 2025 college football season. Fornelli believes that the best-case scenario for the Nittany Lions is going 12-0 during the regular season. He said,
“Following the blueprint put in place by Michigan and Ohio State the last two years works perfectly. Drew Allar takes his game to the next level and thrives in Penn State’s toughest games. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen both rush for over 1,000 yards again but do so with fewer carries. The transfer additions at WR all hit, and Jim Knowles’ defense is impenetrable. Once the Nittany Lions get past Ohio State to improve to 8-0 we all wonder if anybody in the country can beat this team. They earn the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.”
The two biggest games on the calendar for the regular season for Penn State will be against the Oregon Ducks at the end of September and on the road against Ohio State in November. If the Nittany Lions are able to win both of those matchups, Penn State will probably be the BIG10 Conference winner and get the number one seed in the college football playoffs.
Allar came back for another season at Penn State to work on his game and get better. If he does show improvement, Allar has a chance to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Nittany Lions will also have one of the best backfields in the sport and they also need some wide receivers and tight end to emerge onto the scene.
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