The Penn State Nittany Lions have been knocking on the door of college football’s elite for a few years now, but in 2025, they might just have the roster—and the schedule—to finally kick that door down.
This is a team that looks built to win now more than ever. The defense will be good, and the offense returns playmakers at every level, and Drew Allar is back as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the country.
When you look at the offensive line, the backfield — featuring Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton — along with the wide receivers that Penn State has brought in from the portal, there's an argument to be made that they might have the best offense in the conference.
Of course, there’s still one giant scarlet-and-gray obstacle in the way—Ohio State. Beating the Buckeyes has haunted James Franklin. But there’s a feeling around Happy Valley that 2025 could finally be the year Penn State flips the script. Even if the Lions drop the regular-season game in The Shoe, they might just get their shot at revenge in Indianapolis.
Here's our game-by-game predictions for Penn State in 2025, who we have ranked No. 2 in our Post-Spring Rankings.
Game-by-Game Predictions for the Penn State Nittany Lions
Aug. 30 – Nevada Wolf Pack
No drama here. Penn State opens the season with an easy home win to get the offense humming.
Prediction: Penn State 49, Nevada 7
Sept. 6 – FIU Panthers
Another soft opponent, another lopsided score. Expect a heavy dose of backups in the second half.
Prediction: Penn State 52, FIU 10
Sept. 13 – Villanova Wildcats
Villanova’s a solid FCS team, but they’re not on Penn State’s level. This one will be over by halftime. Way to really test yourself in the non-conference, Penn State.
Prediction: Penn State 55, Villanova 6
Sept. 27 – Oregon Ducks
This is where the season really starts. After a bye week, Oregon comes to Beaver Stadium in a potential top-10 clash. The Lions’ defense sets the tone and forces some timely turnovers in Dante Moore's first real start in a hostile environment.
Prediction: Penn State 31, Oregon 21
Oct. 4 – at UCLA Bruins
West Coast trips can be tricky, but this Penn State team is too mature to slip up here. They handle business at the Rose Bowl.
Prediction: Penn State 34, UCLA 20
Oct. 11 – Northwestern Wildcats
No surprises here. Penn State rolls at home, and the defense suffocates Northwestern’s offense.
Prediction: Penn State 45, Northwestern 13
Oct. 18 – at Iowa Hawkeyes
A classic Big Ten grinder. Trips to Iowa City are never comfortable, but the Nittany Lions are built to survive these kinds of games. Expect the running game to come into play here, and a closer one than you might believe.
Prediction: Penn State 21, Iowa 13
Nov. 1 – at Ohio State Buckeyes
This is the hurdle Penn State just can’t seem to clear—at least not in the regular season. Even though Penn State has a bye week before this one, Ohio State’s talent edge shows up late in the game as they pull away.
Prediction: Ohio State 28, Penn State 21
Nov. 8 – Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana might score a few times, but there's no way that team is beating Penn State in Happy Valley.
Prediction: Penn State 38, Indiana 24
Nov. 15 – at Michigan State Spartans
Sparty puts up a fight early, but Penn State’s firepower wins out in the second half.
Prediction: Penn State 38, Michigan State 14
Nov. 22 – Nebraska Cornhuskers
Matt Rhule has Nebraska improving, but they’re still not ready to go into Beaver Stadium and win. Penn State cruises.
Prediction: Penn State 35, Nebraska 20
Nov. 29 – at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
A road trip to finish the regular season in a game that may essentially mean nothing. Penn State will roll, and they'll be in the Big Ten title game with a chance to get revenge on Ohio State.
Prediction: Penn State 30, Rutgers 13
Final Regular Season Record: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten)
This feels like the year Penn State finally stops knocking and starts kicking the door down. Even with the regular-season loss to Ohio State, there’s a strong chance these two meet again in the Big Ten title game. Penn State has about as favorable of a schedule as you could ask for.
They have a great draw in the Big Ten — they avoid Michigan and Illinois — and even though they play Oregon and Ohio State, they get bye weeks before both of them. Essentially, they have an entire month to prepare for Oregon, since they scheduled literally no one in the non-conference. If this team — with all its experience, talent, and resources that have been poured in — isn't 11-1 at the end of the season, it should be considered a disappointment.