Penn State is entering this season with as much hype as the Nittany Lions have had in a long time.
And for good reason.
They return a top-notch quarterback, Drew Allar. He may end up as a top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but first he's got one more college campaign to try and lead PSU to glory.
They've also got the best backfield duo in the country with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. They were already dominant last year and chose to return for one more go at it.
Penn State added receivers to fill a void there, including high-end Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena.
The Nittany Lions should be strong defensively again. This team has talented returners everywhere you look.
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And now, they've got a good omen: Penn State opened the season ranked No. 2 in the AP Top-25 preseason poll.
Why's that matter?
Because more national champions since the start of the BCS era have come from the No. 2 preseason spot than any other.
It works out that nine of the 27 champs in that span have come from No. 2, a whopping 33 percent.
Texas is ranked No. 1. Tough break for them, by these numbers.
Ohio State comes in at No. 3.
It's a loaded top-end of college football this season, but Penn State is one of the few best contenders to have its full-time starting quarterback back. So many others are figuring out their QB situation with a fully new or mostly new guy.
The Nittany Lions would love to be in the title conversation, and they have the pieces to do it. Now they've got the ranking, too.
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