The release of the Associated Press' preseason college football poll on Monday provided those in University Park plenty of optimism ahead of the 2025 season. Penn State, a semifinalist in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff, sat just five points behind No. 1 Texas in the top spot.
That was the different story in Sporting News' preseason college football rankings, which placed the Nittany Lions a distant third behind Texas and Big Ten Conference foes Ohio State.
"The Nittany Lions have their highest preseason ranking since 1997 – when they were No. 1 and eventually finished 9-3," Sporting News contributor Bill Bender wrote. "It's a huge year for James Franklin, and the return of three-year starter Drew Allar and 1,000-yard rushers Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen is key along with the addition of Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Penn State opens with Nevada."
While Sporting News' rankings mirror that of the USA Today US LBM Coaches Poll, Penn State is 75 points ahead of the Buckeyes and possesses a 23-11 advantage in first-place votes in the AP poll. Ohio State has 20 first-place votes to the Nittany Lions' 14 in the US LBM poll.
Despite being behind the Buckeyes, remains firmly ahead of other Big Ten competitors like Oregon, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana heading into the 2025 season.
Here's where the Nittany Lions' 2025 opponents stack up in the Sporting News' rankings.
- Aug. 30 vs. Nevada (No. 129)
- Sept. 6 vs. FIU (No. 121)
- Sept. 13 vs. Villanova (unranked — FCS)
- Sept. 27 vs. Oregon (No. 6)
- Oct. 4 at UCLA (No. 60)
- Oct. 11 vs. Northwestern (No. 85)
- Oct. 18 at Iowa (No. 29)
- Nov. 1 at Ohio State (No. 2)
- Nov. 8 vs. Indiana (No. 25)
- Nov. 15 at Michigan State (No. 64)
- Nov. 22 vs. Nebraska (No. 30)
- Nov. 29 at Rutgers (No. 61)