There’s plenty of buzz around Penn State heading into the 2025 season.
With quarterback Drew Allar returning and a loaded backfield with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the offense has the potential to be one of the best in the Big Ten. On the other side of the ball, the Nittany Lions made a major move by bringing in former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to lead their defense.
Penn State has been knocking on the door for years, consistently putting together strong seasons under James Franklin. The problem? That door never quite opens.
The Nittany Lions have fallen short in the biggest moments, especially against teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and even Oregon. A year after making it to the College Football Playoff semifinals, though, Nittany Lions fans have higher expectations than normal looking ahead to 2025.
One National Analyst doesn't see Penn State making the leap
Former Alabama running back Mark Ingram has been around championship-caliber teams, and he’s not convinced Penn State belongs in that category. During a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast with Urban Meyer, Ingram shared his doubts about the Nittany Lions reaching true contender status in 2025.
“I’m just not a believer,” Ingram said. “They’ve been the same team for the past five years—they just can’t win the big games. And they have two of them on here: Oregon and Ohio State, and at Iowa. I got them less than 10.5 wins. I think they’ll have 10, but that’ll still get them to the playoffs.”
It’s a fair criticism. Penn State is almost always good for a 10-win season, but until they prove they can take down top-tier opponents in the biggest moments, skepticism will remain.
2025 is a "prove it" year for Penn State
Look, there's a reason that James Franklin has developed the reputation that he has in big games. Whether that's fair or not, it's a cloud that looms large over him and the Penn State program as a whole.
The talent is there. Allar has a chance to be the best quarterback Penn State has had in years, the run game is stacked, and Knowles’ arrival should elevate a defense that has already been strong. But, you've got to find a way to put it together in the biggest moments.
Penn State has the opportunity to silence its critics this season. If they can finally beat teams like Ohio State or Oregon and avoid a costly slip-up, they’ll put themselves in the playoff conversation, and potentially be set up to advance deep into the postseason. If not, it’s another year of the same story—a good team, but not a great one.
The hype is there. Now, it’s time for Penn State to prove it’s real.