The 2025 college football season is upon us, folks.

Penn State embarks on one of its most anticipated seasons in recent memory. With experienced upperclassmen dominating key starting positions and an incredible coaching staff, there’s a reason that the Nittany Lions are ranked No. 2 in the AP Preseason Poll. If everything goes according to plan, Penn State could be in the hunt for a national championship. With that being said, some of our staff have their doubts about a perfect regular season.

CJ Gill: 12-0

Penn State football is back. This is the team that finally gets over the hump. Led by Drew Allar and the best running back duo in the county, the Nittany Lions can achieve all their goals this year. This team has the talent and experience that can run the table in the Big Ten and make a run in the College Football Playoff. The experience gets them the win over Ohio State that has long eluded them since 2016.

Ben Rosenbaum: 11-1

Another 11-1 year for the Nittany Lions. Ohio State in Columbus gets the best of us again, unfortunately, but Penn State continues to fight, wins a nail-biter White Out against Oregon, and returns to both the Big Ten Championship game and the College Football Playoff. Returning running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the one-two punch combo, each solidify themselves as “All Time Penn State Greats,” finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in Penn State’s all-time leading rush yards, respectively. The new wide receiver trio is as elite as advertised, with Trebor Peña having a 1000+ yard season and being first team all Big Ten.

Jamie Lynch: 11-1

Here we go again. Whether this season ends on a podium in Miami or in a loss in the Outback Bowl, there will be tears shed.

Penn State has not had a better chance to climb the college football mountain in 20 years. With an abundance of returning talent, an impressive group of transfers, and even some standout freshmen, the Nittany Lions are poised to make a deep postseason run.

Last season, I predicted that the blue and white would go 10-2, with the potential to go 11-1. This year, I am locking in an 11-1 prediction with the hope that my trend will continue. I am very well aware of this team’s ceiling, and while I’m not superstitious, I am a little superstitious about the power of my picks.

Lauren Gruca: 10-2

Please let this be wrong, but I’m predicting Penn State will go 10-2 this year and still make it to the College Football Playoff. I think our losses will be against Ohio State and Oregon. Ohio State is always a tough game, and I can see them getting the win (again). Especially since this is an away game, Ohio State will have hype from their crowd. Oregon will also be a tough game that I could see a loss too. I want to be wrong, especially since this is the White Out game, but I could see Oregon pull out a win against us again. Please prove me wrong, Penn State football.

Michael Zeno: 11-1

If there was ever a year that Penn State football could finally go undefeated, it’s this year. It’s by far the most talented roster of the James Franklin era, catches several Big Ten competitors in rebuild periods, and has some of the most experienced in the nation.

They’re blessed by a remarkably easy non-conference schedule, and while that could leave them ill-prepared for a big step up in competition against Oregon, the Ducks have many more questions than the Nittany Lions, who are also hosting the bout in the whiteout. They’ll avoid the upsets against Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska that could lead to a few scares, as the Big Ten’s middle class has improved.

Ultimately, it’ll come down to whether they can conquer the beast in Columbus. While Ohio State has a lot of turnover from their national championship season, they’ll be incredibly tough to beat on the road. Until Penn State can beat Ohio State, I’m not sure I can confidently pick them to pull it off, but this year’s team can do it.

Ultimately, 11-1 is more than enough in the 12-team playoff and should earn them a trip to Indianapolis, where they can get revenge on the Buckeyes and hunt a first-round bye.

Jack Anderson-Jussen: 11-1

This is the year Penn State finally puts it all together. With a loaded backfield and a deep receiving corps returning, the offense has huge potential. I’ve got the Nittany Lions edging Oregon out in a classic White Out showdown, but dropping a game to Ohio State when we travel to see them. I see the other games on the schedule as pretty easy and feel confident in an appearance in a Big Ten Championship, where we get a shot at redemption.

Cadyn Gill: 11-1

After falling short of the National Championship game last year, Penn State has assembled quite the roster. They returned key players on both sides of the ball like Nick Singleton, Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Additionally, using the transfer portal to totally overhaul the wide receiver room will do wonders for this football team. Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña, and Devonte Ross complement each other extremely well and will work together to give Allar some serious downfield targets, capable of defeating man coverage and creating explosive plays. Because of this, I think the Nittany Lions offense will steamroll just about every defense that stands in its path this season, except for one. Ohio State.

I haven’t seen enough from Franklin in crucial games to predict a perfect record for Penn State in 2025, and it’s easy to point out the Buckeyes as the singular loss despite Penn State having the better roster. Of course, playing Iowa and Oregon will also be difficult, but the Nittany Lions have a major edge when it comes to talent over those opponents, and playing the Ducks at home during the White Out will provide an extra boost to take down the reigning Big Ten champs. It doesn’t hurt to have one of the best defensive units in the country receiving a coaching upgrade in the form of Pa. native, Jim Knowles. AJ Harris, Zakee Wheatley, and Zane Durant will have All-American seasons to lead another elite Penn State defensive unit.

On paper, there’s no better team in college football, but I expect the trend of losing the big game to Ohio State to remain true. 11-1 for the Nittany Lions in 2025.

Cooper Cazares: 12-0

The time is now for Penn State football. The returning talent. The coaching staff. The experience. A culmination of years and years of developing a team to the best of its ability has led to this season. If there was a year to go all in on Penn State football, it would be this year. Consider the Kool-Aid consumed. #NittsToTheNatty.

Collin Ward: 11-1

The most likely outcome for Penn State is 11-1. Most people are putting this as the prediction because they expect to lose to either Oregon or Ohio State. For me, I do not see a world where we lose to, frankly, an overrated Oregon team at home during the White Out. I do think that Ohio State is going to be tough to beat in Columbus, but I also want to point people’s attention to games like Iowa at Kinnick Stadium and home against Nebraska. Both of those teams will be improved from last year and could be on a win streak when we face them. While I would love to say we are world beaters and will roll everyone, my best guess is we go 11-1 and then win the Big Ten Championship against whoever else makes it (hopefully the Buckeyes).

Oscar Orellana: 12-0

12-0

I’ve only had a real connection to Penn State for just over a year now, so I can’t say that I’ve experienced disappointment after disappointment like many of my fellow staffers here at Onward State who have followed Penn State football their whole lives. 

And I sure am not expecting to experience disappointment this year. 

On paper, the tools are there. The Nittany Lions got THE defensive coordinator at the beginning of the offseason, key transfers in all positions of need, and 14 returning starters from 2024. A College Football Playoff Semifinal run gave this team the experience it needed to go for a legitimate, serious attempt at a national championship in 2025. 

Obviously, Penn State’s schedule is not a walk in the park. The Nittany Lions are set to take on the reigning Big Ten champions in Oregon and reigning national champions in Ohio State, as well as other notable conference foes like Iowa, Indiana, and Nebraska. I just don’t see Penn State dropping any of these games. I think the roster and coaching staff overshadow most in college football, and every team in the Big Ten following some mass NFL Draft exoduses. 

I don’t want to be pessimistic and base this prediction on years of disappointment for the program when this year is supposed to feel different. That’s because it is different. The Nittany Lions will go 12-0, and YES, they will defeat Ohio State. Who knows, maybe even ride off into the sunset in January with a natty. 

Michael Siroty: 12-0

It’s time.