College Football Playoff Predictions 2025: What the Experts Think of Penn State

Penn State has made the next step its next mission of the 2025 college football season. After their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, the Nittany Lions want more. Penn State has not won, or directly played for, a national championship since the 1986 season. For Penn State football, that's the reason for 2025.

The Nittany Lions had the Big Ten's best offseason, according to ESPN, but translating that to a title will be difficult. So where do the Nittany Lions stand in the title race? The national media are beginning to release their 2025 College Football Playoff predictions, and it looks like Penn State is in for another close call.

In his debut for the updated On3 platform, Brett McMurphy projects not only the College Football Playoff bracket but the entire bowl postseason. McMurphy has Penn State as the No. 2 overall seed, ostensibly as the Big Ten champion, and facing seventh-seeded Alabama in a Rose Bowl showcase Jan. 1.

With a win over the Crimson Tide, Penn State advances to the Peach Bowl in McMurphy's bracket to face third-seeded Georgia. But the run ends in the semifinals again, as McMurphy projects Georgia topping the Nittany Lions to face (and beat) No. 4 Ohio State in the CFP title game.

At the Sporting News, college football analyst Bill Bender also foresees Penn State stalling out in the semifinals again. Bender isn't as high on Penn State as McMurphy, projecting the Nittany Lions as the No. 5 seed and hosting No. 12 Navy in a first-round game at Beaver Stadium.

Bender then puts Penn State into a 4-5 Orange Bowl matchup with Clemson, a game the Nittany Lions win to return to the semifinals. Bender sees the run ending there against No. 1 seed Texas in the Peach Bowl. Texas then faces No. 2 Ohio State in the title game.

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt hasn't projected his playoff field yet but did list 10 games that would define the season and by turn the playoff. Penn State will play in two of them: Sept. 27 at home against Oregon and Nov. 1 on the road at Ohio State.

Klatt has not been shy in saying that Penn State, and coach James Franklin, have to win a big game to earn their place on the big stage. He reiterates the point here, essentially saying that these two games will define the Nittany Lions' season.

"If Penn State can win this game [against Oregon], that would announce to everyone that this group is ready for the big stage and potentially make a run for a title," Klatt writes.

Oregon visits Penn State at an opportune time for the Nittany Lions. Penn State plays three non-conference cash games and gets a bye week before hosting the Ducks in a rematch of last year's Big Ten title game. It's also, rightfully, the "Penn State White Out" in prime time on NBC.

It's also noteworthy that Penn State will visit Ohio State, where it hasn't won since 2011, after a bye week. The Big Ten certainly placed those byes in beneficial spots on Penn State's 2025 schedule.

Penn State's odds of winning the national championship

Penn State is among the favorites to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. FanDuel sets the odds of Penn State returning to the postseason at -250. Penn State (+250) also ranks ahead of Oregon (+290) and behind Ohio State (+195) in winning the Big Ten title. The odds of Penn State winning the national championship are +800, behind only Texas (+550), Georgia (+600) and Ohio State (+600).

Penn State opens the 2025 season against Nevada on Aug. 30 at Beaver Stadium.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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