Penn State featured prominently in ESPN college football '100 days' primer

Technically, Penn State football is still 107 days away from the start to its 2025 season. Set to host Nevada to open the campaign on Aug. 30 at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions hope to maximize the time until that day comes.

“I like where we’re at, but we got a ton of work to do between now and Nevada,” head coach James Franklin said following the program’s April 26 Blue-White Game. “And on top of that, we got to be intentional about our work. Every single one of us has got to be intentional about our work between now training camp and Nevada.”

A sentiment Franklin is sure to continue to stress to his team in the coming weeks and months, that hasn’t prevented the national college football landscape from getting into the spirit of the season. Leading with Penn State’s place among the elite in multiple post-spring Top 25 rankings, another step was taken Thursday with the release of ESPN’s “100 days until week 0” feature. An expansive piece attributed to the TWWL’s staff, it ranked top storylines, top games, Heisman hopefuls, and much more for the upcoming season.

Where does Penn State football fall in the equation?

A safe bet, the Nittany Lions are among the most prominently featured programs. From Franklin to Drew Allar and beyond, here is a look at the names and games getting the most attention.

Penn State featured prominently in ESPN’s college football ‘100 days’ primer

Marquee matchups

Penn State fans have had two dates circled on the 2025 schedule for months.

Following a three-game nonconference warmup before beginning Big Ten play, the Oregon Ducks’ trip to Happy Valley on Sept. 27 takes the fifth spot on ESPN’s top 10 games list for the season. A rematch of last year’s conference championship game in Indianapolis, the Nittany Lions will be eager to defend their home turf, prove their worthiness on the national stage, and avenge the 45-37 loss.

Not to be outdone, Penn State’s Nov. 1 trip to Columbus takes the No. 3 spot on the list. A lengthy drought of losses against the Buckeyes dating back to 2016, is this the year the visitors get over the hump? Against the defending national champions?

The top two spots went to Texas at Ohio State to open the season, followed by Georgia’s date with Alabama in Athens on Sept. 27.

Spotlight: James Franklin

For as many high profile college coaches enter the 2025 season with so much at stake, the top spot on ESPN’s “10 coaches to watch” is the only one who didn’t prowl a sideline last year. Overtaking Colorado’s Deion Sanders as the nation’s most talked-about college football coach, and point of fascination to fans and casuals alike, North Carolina’s Bill Belichick has everyone waiting to see what will happen in Chapel Hill.

Beyond him? It’s James Franklin up next.

Ranked No. 2 on the list, the Penn State head coach entering his 12th season with the Nittany Lions will carry the weight of personal and institutional aspirations into the season.

From the piece:

2. James Franklin, Penn State: He led Penn State to its first two CFP wins last season and will have quite possibly his best overall team, led by quarterback Drew Allar. But Franklin still faces the perception that he can’t win the biggest games consistently. Can he deliver Penn State’s first national title since 1986? The ingredients are there — Allar, running back tandem Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles — but Franklin must now meet the highest of expectations.

Franklin is the only Big Ten coach on the list.

Eyes on Drew Allar

Quarterbacks make the preseason Heisman odds world go ’round, and this year is no different with Arch Manning leading the way ahead of his first season as a starter. ESPN didn’t follow the odds on its breakdown of the top 10 Heisman contenders, though.

While seven of the 10 spots are devoted to quarterbacks around college football, including Drew Allar at No. 6, it put Clemson’s Cade Klubnik at No. 1, Manning at No. 2, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier at No. 4, and Florida’s D.J. Lagway all ahead of the Nittany Lions’ signal-caller.

6. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Though he tossed a catastrophic late interception in Penn State’s loss to Notre Dame in the playoff semifinals, Allar is coming off a banner 2024 with a QBR of 77.5, which ranked 16th nationally. Allar took a big jump from 2023 to last season and could make another sizable leap in his third year as the starter. — Trotter

South Carolina’s LaNorris Seller (No. 7) and Oklahoma’s John Mateer (No. 9) round out the quarterback picks.

Bye-bye-bye

If Penn State is picked No. 1 coming out of spring, or even more conservatively as a preseason Top 5 team, odds are high for College Football Playoff participation. But, ESPN took the sentiment another step as it went with the Nittany Lions at No. 2 among its top 10 programs lining up for a potential first-round bye.

2. Penn State: The Nittany Lions are ranked here as the projected Big Ten champion and selection committee’s second-highest ranked conference champion, which would earn them the No. 2 seed.

Importantly, the rest of the list isn’t without another Big Ten team included. Coming in at No. 6, Ohio State has the ability to upend Penn State’s path to a first-round CFP bye with the outcome of their November showdown.

Will the winner be the Big Ten’s champ? ESPN says yes.

---

Talk about it with our premium members in the Lions Den message board, here!