Penn State head football coach James Franklin reacts to something on the sideline during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in State College. The White team defeated the Blue team, 10-8. Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Early Look at MSU's 2025 Opponents: Penn State

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 11:08 PM ET

The last time Michigan State faced Penn State, it could've gone better. To say the least.

If there's one game on the Spartans' 2025 schedule where a miracle would essentially need to take place for Michigan State to pull off the upset, it would be this one.

The Nittany Lions are returning most of their stars from last year's College Football Playoff team and are expected to compete for the Big Ten title again.

They bring back one of the top quarterbacks in the entire country, Drew Allar, as well as one of the best running backs in the country, Nicholas Singleton.

As far as receiving goes, however, Penn State had to do some replenishing after losing Harrison Wallace III and Tyler Warren, last year's Big Ten Tight End of the Year. It brought in a pair of great transfer wide receivers in Trebor Pena from Syracuse and Devonte Ross from Troy. It also added transfer wideout Kyren Hudson from USC.

This is expected to be one of the most stacked wide receiver rooms in the conference.

Defensively, Penn State returns most of what was one of the best defenses in the country last year. It lost star defensive tackle Abdul Carter and its defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, but answered by hiring Jim Knowles, who comes off a national title as Ohio State's defensive coordinator.

The Nittany Lions are expected to have elite units on both sides of the ball, which makes them not only one of the best teams in the conference, but one of the best in the nation.

They're well set up to finally get over the hump and make a run for a national title.

The Spartans will be coming off a much-needed bye week as they prepare for one of the toughest stretches of their season. The only thing that will be in their favor in this matchup is the fact it will be in East Lansing, their final game in Spartan Stadium in 2025.

But as far as things go inside the lines, Michigan State is going to need to play perhaps its best football of the season if it hopes to stand a chance of coming out victorious.

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