They aren't full sold.
Josh Pate Names National Title Contender People Are Hesitant About originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 college football season is approaching, building excitement to see which team can unseat the Ohio State Buckeyes from the top or if they will defend their championship.
One team looking to dethrone the Buckeyes is their Big Ten rival, the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions came close to earning a spot in the national championship game last season but lost in the final seconds to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 27-24.
ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) ranks Penn State as the No. 5 team in the country, giving it a 7% chance of winning the national championship. On "Josh Pate's College Football Show," the analyst emphasized that it is time for Penn State to take the next step in its progression.
"James Franklin and Penn State have a unique situation here that the dominoes have fallen into place in such a way that Penn State, despite the fact that they haven't gotten over the big game hump, they still haven't won the Big Ten lately, they won in the playoff last year but they beat two teams that candidly they should have beaten," Pate said. "... They're in a position to be considered a national title favorite this year and yet there is some hesitation out there from some people to buy in that they would ever be able to do that."
Pate said he believes the Nittany Lions are not just a solid team this year; they need to take the next step to become true contenders.
This year, the team's strength lies in the return of several key players. Quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, along with defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant, are all back in action. Overall, Penn State is bringing back 63% of its production, ranking it 33rd in the nation.
Allar passed for 3,327 yards, throwing 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while achieving a completion rate of 66.5%. That was his best season as the starting quarterback. Furthermore, Allen and Singleton rushed for over 1,000 yards each, combining for 20 rushing touchdowns.
Most of Penn State's returning talent is on the offensive side, as the team retains 72% of its offensive output, ranking 14th nationally. The loss of defensive standout Abdul Carter will be significant. Last season, Carter recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss, which earned him the distinction of being selected as the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Nittany Lions will kick off the season at home against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach That's Hard to Believe In
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
