New projections put Penn State football in national title game

Penn State football took a step forward in 2024, making the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history and advancing all the way to the national semifinals. With the core of the program’s talent returning to Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions are looking to seize upon a window of opportunity in 2025.

New projections from 247Sports have the Nittany Lions doing just that. In revised spring predictions for the 2025 season, Brad Crawford has Penn State making it through the playoff and playing for a national championship.

Penn State projected to topple Ohio State in CFP Semifinals, face Texas in National Championship Game

Penn State football quarterback Drew Allar. © Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

Crawford has the Nittany Lions as the first at-large bid in the 2025 College Football Playoff, seeded at No. 5. He has Ohio State as the top overall seed after winning the Big Ten. However, after an opening-round matchup at Beaver Stadium against No. 12 Navy and a quarterfinal contest at the Cotton Bowl versus No. 4 Utah, Crawford sees James Franklin finally getting his long-sought win over the Buckeyes.

“We’re going to see these two teams face off multiple times next season,” Crawford wrote. “And Penn State fans have to like their team’s shot at dethroning the Buckeyes this time around, considering the talent that’s returning on offense with Drew Allar under center and a pair of dynamic running backs in play.”

After knocking off Ohio State at the Fiesta Bowl, Crawford has Penn State returning to Miami to face No. 2-seed Texas in the national title game.

Of course, this prediction hinges on a question that has plagued the Penn State offense for the last several years.

“As long as Penn State can get a few wideouts to emerge this season, this has a real chance to be the Nittany Lions’ first national championship campaign in nearly 40 years,” said Crawford. “James Franklin knows his team is loaded, and the offseason buy-in from several players who could’ve left or submitted their names in the 2025 NFL Draft was vital.”

Franklin: Nittany Lions learning from 2024 experience

Penn State football head coach James Franklin. © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Penn State football came within moments of the national title game in January. After a heartbreaking end to 2024, the Nittany Lions are learning from the experience to get over the hump this season.

“There’s only one program in college football that’s happy at the end of the season at this level, and, obviously, the most important thing for all of us is that we learn from it and grow from it, and that’s what we’re all doing,” Franklin said in February.

“I think this experience this year will be helpful, very similar to what you’ve seen with other programs. We understand what it’s like. You have a plan, you have a routine, you kind of go back and do an after-action review about how things went as a program. The players do that as well, and then you attack it.

“So yeah, I think everybody is as disappointed as you could be, you know when it ends, but there’s also a ton to be proud of and appreciative of.

“But the most important thing is that we use every experience we have, both positive and negative, to get better and grow.”

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.