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- Jacob Rhee

I recently unveiled the 13 college football teams that have a chance of winning the national title. It’s time we break down each of those squads. The Penn State Nittany Lions sit at No. 2.

Offense

I often think about James Franklin’s press conference after the 2018 Ohio State game. He had just endured a gut-wrenching 27-26 loss, and over 100,000 humans dressed in white were slinking to their cars in utter disbelief. A mid-zone run on fourth-and-5, with the game on the line? What in the world just happened?

Franklin was extremely direct throughout that session, and vowed to erase the one-point gap that separated Penn State from the S-tier of college football. I gained a ton of respect for him that night, quite frankly. The coach of a powerhouse program - who had won a New Year’s Six Bowl nine months earlier - openly declaring that his program wasn’t elite? It was pretty jarring to witness, but I really admired his honesty.

While I’m still higher on James than just about every member of the national media, I must admit that his promise is downright humiliating in hindsight. He’s 0-6 against the Buckeyes since those words left his mouth, with zero Big Ten titles and no national championship game appearances. If the achievements don’t materialize this season, I’m not sure they’re ever coming. Drew Allar passed on the draft, and now stands as the only quarterback in America with multiple playoff starts. The questions regarding his big-stage abilities are undeniable, though. Allar has matched up with a top-20 opponent on 10 occasions. He has never once completed over 60 percent of his throws. That’s kind of… unbelievable?

There’s great news for our friend Drew. This staff watched its wide receivers combine for the same amount of catches as me in the Orange Bowl, and decided to go get a whole new room. Portal additions Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross, and Trebor Peña combined for 198(!!) receptions last year. 2,551 yards from scrimmage. 24 total touchdowns. In other words, there are no excuses to be found for big No. 15.

The offensive line was a strength throughout 2024, and only one of the five starters departed. That crew will pave the way for ever-lethal seniors Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who each have a chance to break the school’s all-time rushing record. It’s awfully comforting to have such a proven duo there; I will continue to stress that you need two good running backs minimum to win it all these days. Both Nittany Lions are soon-to-be Day 2 picks, and they’re hungry for some hardware.

Defense

Penn State allowed under 19 points per contest for the fourth consecutive season, only lost one guy that was drafted in the top 80, and successfully poached the defensive coordinator that just engineered college football’s stingiest crew. The run of dominance on this side of the ball will indeed continue.

Happy Valley has become a factory for fantastic edge prospects, and Dani Dennis-Sutton is next on the assembly line. That said, he’s the second-best player on his own front four. Zane Durant is a flat-out superstar, even though broadcasts love to neglect his work. Don’t worry, buddy. I see the disruption, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Transfer Amare Campbell immediately steps in as a leader on this team. I wasn’t necessarily hyper-focused on North Carolina football last fall, but the fact that a championship-winning head coach entrusted him to wear the green dot as a true sophomore definitely means something to me. Tony Rojas has been largely unspectacular to this point; perhaps that wild pick-six against SMU foreshadows an incoming leap.

The success of a Jim Knowles unit largely hinges on the performance of its safeties. Thus, I’d make the argument that - outside of Allar - Zakee Wheatley is the most important individual on the entire squad. Meanwhile, we know that AJ Harris is special. I want to see the other two corners prove it a bit more, before joining the crowd of folks giving them flowers. Elliot Washington II looked sharp as a reserve, and Zion Tracy’s flashes are blindingly brilliant. If those guys can shine on a down-to-down basis, we’re staring at a serious contender for the nation’s best defense.

Season Outlook

Pre-Bowl Record Prediction: 13-0

Selection Sunday Fan Mood: Start writing your apology letters right now. Be ready to present them to us at around 11:30 p.m. EST, on January 19th.

Pressroom

Spin It

“Settle Down” by The 1975. Enjoy.