Penn State to-do list in 2025

September 4, 2025 by CollegeFootballPoll.com staff

After going 11-1 in the regular season a year ago and advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals, the Penn State Nittany Lions are a favorite to do the things they didn't do a year ago.

Penn State's only regular season loss came at home against Ohio State, 20-13, on November 2nd.

The Nittany Lions came up short of winning the Big Ten Conference title with a 45-37 loss to Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium .

They fell one game shy of the National Championship game, losing 27-24 to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl playoff semifinal game. The Irish went on to lose to Ohio State, 34-23, for its first national title since the 2016 season.

Whether you feel good, or bad, about the teams' chances of accomplishing lofty goals in 2025, playpennsylvania.com has the resources necessary to find your best legal options in the Commonwealth.

Thus, this is the to-do list for James Franklin:

1) Deliver pay-back to Oregon when the Ducks come calling for a regular season game on September 27.

2) End an 8-game losing streak to Ohio State when the Nittany Lions go to Columbus on November 1.

3) Bring the Big Ten title back to State College in his 12th season at the school where he has compiled a 102-42 record with a conference mark of 64-33.

4) Win the school's first national title since 1986.

According to Stassen.com, Penn State is picked by Phil Steele Magazine and CollegeFootballPoll.com to be No.1 in the nation at the end of the regular season. They also were voted No.1 in the conference by media covering the Big Ten, as well as Athlon's, Lindy's and USA Today, among others.

A lot of the enthusiasm revolves around the return of quarterback Drew Allar, who is among the favorites in the Heisman Trophy race. Including last week's 46-11 blowout of Nevada at home, Allar has started 30 games at Penn State since the start of the 2023 season and owns a 24-6 record. He's thrown for 6,519 yards with 54 TD passes and only 10 interceptions. In previous seasons, he was also used a running option and scored 11 touchdowns, but the coaches turned away from that strategy last year.

Against Nevada, Allar was 22-of-26 for 217 yards and a touchdown before exiting in the rhird quarterback to give backup Ethan Grunkemeyer some playing time.

Overall, 13 starters return with 9 of those on offense. Among the missing are NFL Draft first round picks are EDGE defender Abdul Carter who was taken third overall by the New York Giants, and tight end Tyler Warren who went 11 picks later to the Indianapolis Colts.

Game one didn't give any cause for alarm to be missing those stars as Penn State outgained the opposition 438-203 and won the turnover battle 3-0. Nevada didn't score a touchdown until there were just 25 seconds left in the game.

Schedule

8/30 Nevada, (W) 46-11
9/6 Florida International
9/13 Villanova (FCS)
9/27 Oregon*
10/4 at UCLA*
10/11 Northwestern*
10/18 at Iowa*
11/1 at Ohio State*
11/8 Indiana*
11/15 at Michigan State*
11/22 Nebraska*
11/29 at Rutgers*

Penn State collected 6 first-place votes in the AFCA Coaches' Poll after week 1, and also picked up 6 in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll while receiving 7 in the AP Poll. The Nittany Lions are No. 2 in all three polls, behind their nemesis Buckeyes.

The Nittany Lions spend the entire month of September at home with FIU up next, followed by FCS member Villanova before they face their first real challenge against an Oregon team that is also one again expected to be a major player in the national championship race.