For six of the last seven years, the Big Ten champion has been either Ohio State or Michigan. But during that time, it's always been a race between three schools, and that third team is Penn State. However, the Nittany Lions haven't been able to make it to the top since 2016.
Could 2025 be the year? That's what The Athletic's Stewart Mandel believes. Mandel released his 2025 Big Ten football predictions, and he has Penn State making history by winning its first Big Ten title in nearly a decade.
Mandel predicts the Nittany Lions will finish 11-1 in the regular season with an 8-1 record in conference play. He has Ohio State as the only other one-loss team in conference play and finishing 10-2 overall.
What puts Penn State over the top in 2025?
Last year, Penn State finished 13-3 with an 8-2 conference record and faced Oregon in the Big Ten championship. The Ducks beat the Nittany Lions in a nail-biter, 45-37, but Penn State still made the playoffs and advanced to the semifinals before losing to Notre Dame.
Penn State went toe-to-toe with Oregon, and the eventual national champions, Ohio State, in the regular season last year, and now they return many of their starters to reload for another run in 2025.
"On paper, this team is loaded, starting with the Nick Singleton-Kaytron Allen backfield. Allar finally has some legit receivers to throw to with transfers Trebor Pena (Syracuse) and Kyron Hudson (USC)," Mandel wrote. "And Jim Knowles takes over another defense teeming with talent. Surely, James Franklin can’t screw this up, right?"
"James Franklin if you don't get it done this year, then I am going to start the fire James Franklin train immediately."@DHx34 says it's National Championship or bust for James Franklin and Penn State this season. pic.twitter.com/nVQbIScZwb
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 18, 2025
Penn State is ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25 rankings behind only Texas. With the return of Heisman hopeful Allar, the Nittany Lions' two-headed monster in the backfield and a trio of talented transfer receivers, Penn State's offense is loaded this year.
On the defensive side, despite the loss of 2024 stars Abdul Carter and Kobe King, new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will have his unit playing at a high level.
This feels like the year for Penn State to finally defeat Goliath and reach to the top of the mountain in the Big Ten. If the Nittany Lions do, it'll be the first time in nine years. Then, Penn State can set its sights on the next historic feat: a national championship.