Penn State football fans watched the national championship game from home the last two seasons, as rivals Michigan and Ohio State hoisted back-to-back trophies for the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions last season were as close as they’ve been to winning it all under James Franklin, coming up three points short of the College Football Playoff championship game against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Franklin said that night that the loss would only motivate the team in 2025. 

“There’s going to be a ton of guys coming back for next year that are going to be hungry and are going to be motivated for more,” Franklin said. “They’ve gotten a taste of what this feels like and what it looks like and what it smells like. We’ll all be better for it, including myself.” 

It felt like 2024 was Penn State’s best chance to win a championship with the team’s core, but the goalposts have shifted to a 2025 group that might be even more talented. Penn State still needs to answer some big questions next season, but when looking at 2025 contenders, there’s an argument that Penn State is the most complete team out there. And the model Penn State is using in 2025 follows that of Ohio State and Michigan: prioritize returning talent, fill gaps from the transfer portal and build culture around upperclassmen.

It’s a strategy that the Wolverines and Buckeyes turned into championships. The Wolverines started a group chat after the 2022 season, in which they won 13 games and a Big Ten title but lost to TCU in the CFP semifinals. Four starting offensive linemen returned to pave the way for senior running back Blake Corum. Defensively, key players like Kris Jenkins, Jaylen Harrell, Michael Barrett and Mike Sainristil returned to help lead one of the nation’s best defenses to a 15-0 season and the 2023 national championship. 

And while Ohio State’s 2024 offseason was headlined by transfer additions like quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs, the team also built its core on veterans. The defensive line was scary with the returns of JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams, while the offense brought back wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreVeyon Henderson. Despite two regular-season losses, Ohio State turned that roster into the 2024 national title.

“There’s your blueprint,” Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt said recently on his podcast. “When you can bring guys back to your program, and they know the drill and they know the culture and the culture rests in those core players, you’ve got something special.”

Similarly, Penn State already has a very strong roster and is using the transfer portal to shore up some holes. In the weeks following the Orange Bowl loss, impact starters in all three phases announced their returns for Penn State. Quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, tackle Zane Durant and safety Zakee Wheatley are some of the big names who will run it back for a chance at college football immortality.

“We were on the brink of greatness, and that taste of what could be has only made me hungrier,” Dennis-Sutton wrote on Instagram. “The job’s not done yet — we’ve got unfinished business to take care of together.” 

Offensively, Penn State should be a run-first offense with Singleton and Allen. The ground game was at its best in the postseason, and the backs should have another big year behind an offensive line that returns five players with starting experience. The question will be whether Drew Allar and the passing attack can show up in big games.

Against Ohio State and Notre Dame last season, Allar threw for 146 and 135 yards, respectively, with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. Those teams and defenses will stand in Penn State’s way as it makes a championship push. Allar needs to find a way to step up against the best competition next year. 

But does Allar have the assets to elevate him to a championship? He had perhaps the most versatile weapon in the country in tight end Tyler Warren last year, but he’s off to the NFL. Leading wide receivers Trey Wallace and Omari Evans both transferred out, meaning the Nittany Lions are practically starting from scratch at the position. The Nittany Lions signed USC transfer Kyron Hudson and Troy transfer Devonte Ross, who could be plug-and-play starters at receiver, and Luke Reynolds seems like a great piece at tight end. But will they do enough to elevate the offense? 

In 2023, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a clear No. 1 receiver in Roman Wilson and an elite tight end in Colston Loveland. In 2024, Ohio State’s Howard had a spoil of riches with receivers Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. These championship quarterbacks were certainly very good, but they also had elite targets. Will Allar have elite targets? If none emerge, can he elevate a mediocre receiver room? 

Defensively, Penn State’s ceiling will be determined by the new coordinator. But whoever replaces Tom Allen will have plenty of talent to work with at all three levels of the defense. 

The Nittany Lions have the blueprint to win a title: a great running game, experienced players in the trenches, a stout defense and a senior quarterback leading the offense. It’s the same blueprint that brought Michigan and Ohio State national championships. That said, they play the games for a reason, and situational coaching will matter. If Franklin can’t win it all with this team, he may never will.

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson