Penn State Enters 2025 as Big Ten Team to Beat

The Big Ten has made an enormous statement in college football over the last two seasons. In 2023, Michigan went 15-0, winning the national championship and claiming the conference’s first title since 2014. Penn State Football could be next in line.

The team responsible for the 2014 championship, Ohio State, decided to follow up on their rivals’ title by winning their own last year.

Penn State Football enters the 2025 season with lofty expectations and championship aspirations. (Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images)

With the 2025 season starting shortly, all eyes will be on whether the Big Ten can win its third title in a row.

The last time the Big Ten won three straight championships was from 1940-42, when Minnesota won in 1940 and 1941, and Ohio State won in 1942.

There is a chance the Big Ten could win the national championship this season. Three teams that could bring home a title are Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State.

Penn State Football’s National Championship Aspirations, Expectations

Penn State Football, Drew Allar — Quarterback Drew Allar sets out to avenge Penn State’s loss in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, this season. (Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Ohio State and Oregon both lost a lot of players to the NFL Draft this past April, while Penn State returned a lot of key stars.

The Nittany Lions lost their star pass rusher, Abdul Carter, and tight end Tyler Warren to the NFL. But the team returns starting quarterback Drew Allar and the best running back duo in the country, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Penn State also added one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, Ohio State’s Jim Knowles. The 60-year-old defensive coordinator played a massive role in the Buckeyes’ title win, and now he will try to do it in Happy Valley.

Big Ten media days were live from Las Vegas last week, and the preseason conference poll was published. Cleveland.com asked 25 writers to rank the teams 1-18 on how they will finish this season.

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Penn State came in as the No. 1 team in the conference with 11 first-place votes. Right behind them were Ohio State and Oregon.

The Nittany Lions are no strangers to playing in the Big Ten Title Game, having been in the game last year. Penn State fell to Oregon in a thriller, and now, they will look to win the conference for the first time since 2016.

Penn State has a lot of primary goals this season, and winning the Big Ten has to be one of the top three on the list. The Nittany Lions should be the team to beat in the conference this season, let alone the team to beat in the entire country.

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Daniel Fisher

Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral

Fisher covers Penn State Football for NittanyCentral. In addition to his work for NittanyCentral, Fisher also writes for a few other sports outlets: Gridiron Heroics, where he covers college football and the NFL, and Stadium Rant, where he is a head editor and covers all major and college sports.

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