After drawing so close to the College Football Playoff title game in 2025, Penn State continues to draw attention as a chief contender in 2026. ESPN's Mark Schlabach joined the list of national media that's high on the Nittany Lions, elevating them to No. 1 in his most recent college football rankings.

For now, Penn State's 2025 football schedule possesses a smooth takeoff for a recalibrating offense, an early marquee game at home, strong off-week timing and a favorable draw, overall.

Spring ball is over, and we’re now a few months away from the start of the 2025 college football season. So, how does Penn State stack up ahead of a potential national title run? We published a set of way-too-early top 25 rankings back in January,