Drew Allar provides vague one-word answer when asked about Penn State's College Football Playoff dreams

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ian Valentino | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 1:14 PM ET

Times are tough right now in Happy Valley. Suffering a home loss to Oregon was a familiar feeling, where James Franklin's job status came into question only because he couldn't get over the big game hump. But the Nittany Lions could've recovered, and losing one game isn't the end of a season anymore.

Losing 42-37 at UCLA, though, brought new demons up. While Franklin has been more willing to pass the blame, the internal leaders have hit the nail on the head that everyone must do better. If they don't, then Penn State has no chance to beat Ohio State, Indiana, or a potential Big Ten Championship opponent.

Quarterback Drew Allar was asked after the game about Penn State's College Football Playoff hopes, and even he isn't too sure.

Drew Allar addresses fading Penn State CFP odds

Mike Poorman of StateCollege.com asked Allar about whether Penn State is still in the hunt for the Playoff, and Allar returned his question with his own. "What do you think?" Allar asked. Poorman responded that he didn't know, and Allar simply said, "Yes."

CFP? Postgame I asked Drew Allar, “Are you guys still in the hunt for the playoffs?”

He turned and asked me, “What do you think?

“I don’t know,” I said.

To which he replied, “Yes.” pic.twitter.com/2VxSAfdFmL
— Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) October 4, 2025

To get there, Penn State may need to win out and avoid a third loss. Simply getting to the Big Ten title game should clinch their spot in the 12-team Playoff, but missing it entirely will leave them vulnerable to an SEC team possibly leapfrogging them.

It's been a tough slog for a team expected to be a top-three program this season. The return of so much veteran firepower simply hasn't paid off yet, and time is quickly running thin for the hype to be justified, if it even can be at this point.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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