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Penn State football would finish the regular season at 11-1, but would fall a game short of the College Football Playoff Championship after a three-point loss to Notre Dame. Penn State and James Franklin hope to return to the playoffs, as we look at the 2025 Penn State football schedule and give predictions.
Last season, Penn State started strong, winning its first six games of the year. They would lose their first game of the year, falling at home to Ohio State by just seven. Penn State would finish the regular season winning its last five games and qualify for the Big Ten title game. They would fall to Oregon by eight in the title game, but still make the playoffs. After wins over SMU and Boise State, Penn State would fall in the CFP Semifinal to Notre Dame.
The Nittany Lions bring back plenty of weapons on offense, starting with Drew Allar, one of the top quarterbacks in college football. Allar passed for over 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns this year, while also running in six on the ground. Further, they bring back the one-two punch of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton in the backfield. They will have to replace Tyler Warren at tight end, but Luke Reynolds showed some flashes last year.
On defense, the Nittany Lions will be replacing Abdul Carter with UNC transfer Amare Campbell. Still, Dani Dennis-Sutton will take a bigger role on the edge rush after having 8.5 sacks last year. Further, Tony Rojas and Dominic DeLuca return for the linebacking core on what should be a strong defense.
Week 1- Nevada
The Nittany Lions open their season with Nevada. In their first year under Jeff Choate saw Nevada win just three games. Nevada will send out Chubba Purdy to run the offense this year. Last year, he passed for 239 yards, and in five seasons of college football, his career high is just 382 yards. Nevada also saw over 20 players come into the program via the transfer portal, with many of them projected to be starters. This is a program in transition and will not find a win on the road.
Pick: Penn State 49 – Nevada 7 (1-0)
Week 2- FIU
FIU finished with a third straight four-win season last year, leading to them moving on from Mike MacIntyre as head coach. Former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons has taken over. While the FIU offense struggled last year, they were 109th in the nation against the run. While FIU did address needs in the transfer portal at end, edge, and middle linebacker, the middle of the line remains the same. This will allow the Nittany Lions' running game to take over here.
Pick: Penn State 42 – FIU 7 (2-0)
Week 3- Villanova
Villanova was a solid FCS program last year. They would finish the year 10-4 and win a playoff game over Eastern Kentucky before falling to Incarnate Word. They also played a solid game with Maryland last year, but would fall by 18. Still, Villanova will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, and while they kept the game with Maryland close, Penn State is a much better school than Maryland.
Pick: Penn State 56 – Villanova 0 (3-0)
Week 5- Oregon
The Nittany Lions face their first test of the season in week five when they host Oregon. Last year, Dillion Gabriel passed for 283 yards and four scores against Penn State. Tez Johnson had 11 receptions for 181 yards and a score as well. Both are off to the NFL now. Further, Oregon struggled against the Ohio State defense last year, which was led by new Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. It was a tight game last year between the two, but experience was on the side of the Ducks. This year, it is on the side of the Nittany Lions, and they get the win.
Pick: Penn State 31 – Oregon 28 (4-0)
Week 6- at UCLA
UCLA upgraded at quarterback this year, bringing in Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee. Further, this defense was solid last year. They ranked 34th in opponent yards per game, 59th in opponent points, and 15th against the run. UCLA brings back four senior defensive linemen and a senior middle linebacker. They should be able to slow down the run game. Still, the secondary will have almost entirely new starters. Drew Allar should be able to move the ball on the secondary, and with UCLA struggling to hold possession via the run, the Nittany Lions will come away with this one.
Pick: Penn State 35 – UCLA 24 (5-0)
Week 7- Northwestern
Transitive properties suggest a long day for new Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone. He lost his job at SMU to Kevin Jennings, who Penn State dominated in the playoff game. The Penn State defense may be replacing Abdul Carter, but it will still be strong this year. Further, the Northwestern offensive line does not have the players to slow down the Penn State pass rush in this one.
Pick: Penn State 31 – Northwestern 6 (6-0)
Week 8- at Iowa
Playing on the road at Iowa can be a tough task, but the Iowa offense has not shown enough improvement to figure into upsetting Penn State here. Iowa did bring in an exciting new quarterback option in Mark Gronowski. He has passed for over 2,500 yards for three straight years at South Dakota State. Further, he has run for over 400 yards each year and over seven touchdowns. Gronowski should improve this Iowa offense, but just not enough to make the upset here.
Pick: Penn State 21 – Iowa 13 (7-0)
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![Florida Gators offensive lineman Austin Barber (58) pulls in Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) as the Gators celebrated at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The Gators defeated the Tigers 27-16. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Florida-celebrating-bowl-win.jpg)
Week 10- at Ohio State
The next big test for Penn State comes on the road against the Buckeyes. Ohio State just lost over a dozen players to the NFL draft, and will be bringing in a new quarterback as well. Still, two of the best players in the nation play for Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith is coming off having 1,315 yards and 15 scores last season. Meanwhile, Caleb Downs had 48 tackles with two interceptions and six pass breakups last year. Further, James Franklin has just one win over Ohio State, coming back in 2016.
Pick: Ohio State 24 – Penn State 23 (7-1)
Week 11- Indiana
Indiana is coming off a playoff birth last year as well, and looks to compete for another playoff birth this year. Indiana loses a lot from that great offense last year. They bring in Fernando Mendoza to replace Kurtis Rourke. Further, the top two running backs are both gone from the roster from last year. They do bring back Elijah Sarratt and Omar Williams, but Indiana will also be relying on three new offensive linemen. The offense should take a step back, which will be the difference in this game.
Pick: Penn State 28 – Indiana 24 (8-1)
Week 12- at Michigan State
The Michigan State offense will go as far as Aidan Chiles takes them. He was solid last year, passing for 2,415 yards with 13 touchdowns, but also had 11 interceptions. He did show some ability to move on the ground, but had trouble against strong pass rushes, which Penn State has. Michigan State added Omari Kelly in the passing game as well, which should help Chiles take the next step. Still, without a dependable run game, it will be hard for Chiles to establish a rhythm against this strong defense. That will allow Penn State to control the game and get the win.
Pick: Penn State 28 – Michigan State 17 (9-1)
Week 13- Nebraska
Nebraska is in its third year under Matt Rhule. Matt Ruhle has done well in his third year in the past, winning ten games at Temple and 11 games at Baylor in his third year. Nebraska hopes to keep that trend going. They bring back Dylan Raiola on offense, who played well as a freshman. He passed for over 2,800 yards and 13 scores. Further, Malcolm Hartzog is one of the few defensive backs in the nation who could potentially give Drew Allar trouble. This game could be close, but Penn State gets the win at home.
Pick: Penn State 20 – Nebraska 17 (10-1)
Week 14- at Rutgers
Rutgers should improve this year. While the offense will continue to focus on the ground game, the passing game will grow as well. The offensive line has continuity and showed improvement in pass blocking to go with their quality run blocks already. While Kyle Monangai is gone, they do bring back Antwan Raymod in the backfield to pair with quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Still, the defensive front four is almost all from the portal and could struggle this year. The running back duo of Allen and Singleton will be the difference.
Pick: Penn State 38 – Rutgers 17 (11-1)
Final Penn State Football 2025 Season Prediction
Penn State should be able to make another run at the Big Ten Title game. Last year, they fell just short of the Big Ten Title, losing to Oregon. They will face Oregon and Ohio State this year, but they dodge Michigan. Further, Oregon is a home game. Beyond those two games, Indiana would be the toughest test on the schedule. They could slip up at home against Nebraska, but that is unlikely. The non-conference schedule is easy, and most of the rest of the Big Ten will not test the Nittany Lions. Expect them to win 11 games this year.
