Penn State football remains the talk of national preview publications ahead of the 2024 college football season. A program frequently positioned among the nation’s best, but unable to get over the barrier of the four-team College Football Playoff, the Nittany Lions will vie for that opportunity in their ensuing campaign.
Will it be enough to get there?
Athlon’s updated College Football Top 25 rankings suggest Penn State can, should, and will be part of that conversation this season. Expected to produce the results that have eluded the program, the Nittany Lions enter the summer months as the publication’s No. 8-ranked team.
Here’s why:
What they’re saying
8. Penn State“A favorable schedule and a standout defense should carry the Nittany Lions into the top-10 mix. But for coach James Franklin’s squad to push for a spot in the Big Ten title game, quarterback Drew Allar needs to take a step forward under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Also, concerns remain at receiver after the spring departure of Keandre Lambert-Smith.”
Examining the rest
2. Ohio State“Between a few strong portal additions – safety Caleb Downs, running back Quinshon Judkins, and quarterback Will Howard – the Buckeyes seem poised to return to the top of the Big Ten. Also, it doesn’t hurt a rebuilding Michigan team visits Columbus in a massive showdown.”
3. Oregon“Dan Lanning has the Ducks poised for a deep run in the CFB Playoff. A number of transfers – including quarterback Dillon Gabriel and handful on defense to fill gaps up front and in the secondary – helped to reload a roster that won 12 games last season. A showdown versus Ohio State in Eugene is Oregon’s biggest showdown in its debut Big Ten season.”
7. Michigan“The Wolverines lost a ton from their national championship squad, but don’t expect a drastic drop in wins for new coach Sherrone Moore. A defense anchored by likely preseason All-Americans in linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and cornerback Will Johnson ranks among the best in college football. Uncertainty surrounds the quarterback battle after spring practice. Expect the offense to flow through running back Donovan Edwards.”
What does it mean?
Penn State is in solid company in the Big Ten as one of four programs ranked in Athlon’s top 10. But, two challenges remain for the Nittany Lions in the battle of perceptions.
Most distinctly, of those four programs, the Nittany Lions are perceived as fourth in the pecking order in the newly expanded league. Maybe more importantly, facing only Ohio State this season, the schedule shapes up favorably for James Franklin’s side, all things considered.
Perceptions of a top-heavy league also have not changed. Rather than a triumvirate of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, the club has expanded to include Oregon in this iteration. However, the next-ranked Big Ten program is Southern Cal, of which the Trojans check in at No. 23.
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