May 12, 2025
Matthew O'Haren/Imagn Images
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin takes a selfie with students following the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium.
We’re still months away from the college football season. Schools have recently wrapped up their spring games, and the door has officially – and thankfully – slammed shut on the transfer portal.
But from a local(ish) standpoint, it’s fairly noteworthy that ESPN, in its latest college football preseason poll, has Penn State ranked No. 1.
Wait, Penn State?
Yup, the Nittany Lions, who lost to Notre Dame on a last-second field goal in January in the College Football Playoff semifinals, jumped up from No. 3 in the network’s earlier preseason poll to the top spot after an offseason in which they returned several critical components of their 13-3 team and sustained more gains than losses.
Penn State’s biggest loss, edge rusher Abdul Carter, was recently made the third overall pick in the draft by the Giants. And he’s a big loss.
But the Nittany Lions return senior quarterback Drew Allar, the dynamic running back tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and nearly their entire offensive line. They also landed a few wide receivers from the portal, which is becoming an annual tradition for the Lions, who haven’t produced a game-changer at that position since Jahan Dotson’s 1,182-yard season in 2021.
But Penn State’s biggest addition didn’t come in the form of a five-star recruit or through the transfer portal.
The team’s major score was landing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who jumped from Ohio State after helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship. A Philadelphia native and St. Joseph Prep alum, Knowles came home for a meatier paycheck and for a chance to get the Nittany Lions over their title hump.
Penn State’s last college football championship came in 1986, although diehards remember the undefeated 1994 season that voters ruined by ranking Nebraska as No. 1 in the final poll.
But now there’s a nifty playoff system in place – what a concept! – that takes the voters out of the equation, and Knowles could be the difference for the Lions in their biggest games.
Penn State hasn’t beaten Ohio State since the 2016 season although each of the past two games has come down to one possession.
Here’s what ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote about Penn State vaulting to No. 1 in their latest preseason poll:
“After finally turning the corner under coach James Franklin in 2024, the Nittany Lions look loaded for bear this coming season. With Allar, Allen and Singleton returning, Penn State should have one of the most balanced offenses in the FBS, especially if Allar takes the next step as a downfield passer.”
Mosher’s Take: I’m not sure “turning the corner” is the right phrase, as Franklin’s team has won no fewer than 11 games and lost no more than three in each of the past two seasons. They've been a top-10 team for a while. The title – and beating Ohio State – is what's missing.
Getting to the college football semifinal last year was great, but that happened because they were actually in the college football playoff, which expanded from four teams to 12 teams for the first time.
Still, it’s odd to see Penn State atop the leaderboard over other powerhouses, including Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama – all top-10 preseason teams in ESPN’s rankings.
It’s also way too early to really know how good any of these teams are or will be when the season starts in August.
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