Paul Finebaum calls Penn State 2025 non-conference slate 'completely embarrassing'

The 2025 season is set up to be one for the ages for James Franklin‘s Penn State program, fresh off a run to the College Football Semifinal in 2024.

The Nittany Lions return a wealth of talent from last season’s team, including starting quarterback Drew Allar, their two leading rushers from last season Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and defensive superstars safety Zakee Wheatley, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and linebacker Tony Rojas.

Instead of opening its season against top-tier competition like in-conference rivals Ohio State (vs. Texas in week one) and Michigan (vs. Oklahoma in week two) however, the Nittany Lions have three consecutive buy games against Nevada, FIU and Villanova to kick off the 2025 campaign.

SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum took to “Get Up” Friday morning to lament the Penn State non-conference schedule, calling it “ridiculous”

“I think (Penn State‘s chances to win the Big Ten in 2025) are really good, but they have one of the most ridiculous non-conference schedules I have ever seen,” Finebaum said. “Are you ready for this? Nevada, that’s the opener they play while Ohio State plays Texas. FIU? Yeah, I know what you think about that. And then they really go big-time by bringing in Villanova. Those are their three non-conference games. Completely embarrassing for a major college to do that, but we’re talking about Penn State of course.”

Since Franklin took over as the head coach in 2014, the Nittany Lions have played a non-conference power-four team in the first three weeks of the season eight times (barring the 2020 season), but just one has been against a preseason top-25 opponent.

2014: W vs. UCF (26-24)
2016: L @ Pittsburgh (42-39)
2017: W vs. Pittsburgh (33-14)
2018: W @ Pittsburgh (51-6)
2021: W vs. No. 22 Auburn (28-20)
2022: W @ Auburn (41-12)
2023: W vs. West Virginia (38-15)
2024: @ West Virginia (34-12)

Since that 2014 mark, Penn State is 36-8 against non-conference opponents with just two of those losses coming in the regular season. To say the administration during Franklin’s time as head coach hasn’t quite taken big swings on regular season non-conference clashes would be an understatement.

Following their “murderer’s row” of non-conference opponents to open the season, Penn State will face a challenging conference schedule this season. It hosts Oregon on Sep. 27 at Beaver Stadium, travels to Ohio State on Nov. 1 and faces its third 2024 College Football Playoff team, Indiana, at home on Nov. 8.