Why did Joel Klatt put Penn State at No. 1 in his post-spring top 25?
Penn State updates for May 7 include FOX analyst Joel Klatt explaining why the Lions are No. 1 in his latest top 25. While most media members have PSU inside of the top five coming out of spring ball, they all slot the program at either No. 3 or No. 4. Klatt breaks from that group, though, and points to recent history as the reason why.
“They are following the blueprint of the teams that just won the national championship,” Klatt said on his show this week. “This is why I am putting them in this spot. You look at what Michigan did in 2023, you look at what Ohio State did in 2024. Both of those teams had a core group of veteran players stay. They stayed and they won a championship.
“Both of those teams had veterans at quarterback. They had veterans on both sides of the ball. They were excellent on both lines of scrimmage. Had chips on their shoulders from the way they were bounced from the postseason in years prior. All of that is true about Penn State.”
Another fact about the Lions is that this regular season, like many previous ones, will be judged by two games. The first is against Oregon in late September, and the second is at Ohio State in early November.
“Penn State has proven, really for a number of years, they will absolutely take care of business,” Klatt said. “They will beat the teams they should beat. What we haven’t seen from Penn State is them rise up and win the game that I would call a matchup game. When they’re looking across and the talent is equated and they even may be a bit of an underdog — can they win that game?”
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Penn State headlines of the day
Penn State picks up commitment from transfer portal linebacker target Amare Campbell: Pickel, BWI
Ex-Penn State star changes uniform number with Philadelphia Eagles: Ralph, PennLive
Report: Penn State basketball picks up Croatian 7-footer: Bauer, BWI
Ohio State to Penn State: Jim Knowles opens up about move: Dinich, ESPN
Q&A: Four-star LB Mathieu Lamah details recruitment and eventual commitment to Penn State: Snyder, BWI
TE Luke Sorensen Nebraska, Ole Miss, Penn State and UCLA as he pushes toward a summer decision: Simmons, On3
Penn State outlook brightens following spring ball; can the Lions find another linebacker?: Pickel, BWI
Why 2025 will be the year of the quarterback in college football: Wasserman, On3
Quote of the day
“Between the longevity they have there – [James] Franklin will probably be there the next 10 years – and a great coaching staff, it was always a great fit for me. They just added Jim Knowles, the best defensive coordinator in the country. He just won a [national championship] with Ohio State and their defense.
“I built a great bond with Coach Connor as well He knows what he’s talking about. I watched it at their spring practice. Every single drill he ran was game-related. But most importantly, we’ve just connected on a different level. He’s always been transparent with me about where I would fit in and what his room looked like.”
New PSU LB commit Mathieu Lamah to BWI.
