5 Most Dangerous 2017 College Football Playoff Contenders

Penn State came out of nowhere to win the Big Ten title this season. They were the only team to knock off Ohio State, and while they lost to Michigan they took down Wisconsin for the league title. The Nittany Lions also boasted a win over AAC champion Temple. There is a legitimate case to be made that they belonged in this year’s College Football Playoff, though the Buckeyes and Washington got the nod ahead of them. James Franklin’s team will be right back in the mix next season, especially since they’re lining up what looks to be a top 15 class this year in recruiting.

Injuries forced a lot of players to get experience along the lines this year on a Nittany Lions roster that was already one of the younger teams in the FBS. Trace McSorley got better with each passing game in his first year as a starter, culminating in a record-setting Big Ten championship performance. He will get most of his receivers back along with dangerous running back Saquon Barkley and an offensive line that should benefit from the attrition and baptism by fire that occurred throughout 2016.

A dominant performance over USC in the Rose Bowl will set up the Nittany Lions as a top-five team heading into 2017. Even a loss should not diminish their shine, as Penn State returns too much talent to think they’ll regress from the highs of 2016. The reigning Big Ten champs should contend once again for the Big Ten East with Ohio State and Michigan. Next season Penn State could be competing for a national title for the first time since 1986.