The 2024 college football season saw several powerhouse teams finally break through to reach the College Football Playoff. Six teams made their first appearances in the postseason tournament.
Among these were the Arizona State Sun Devils, Indiana Hoosiers and Boise State Broncos, all of whom were new contenders. Additionally, there were teams like the Penn State Nittany Lions, who had been in contention for several seasons but had never made it to the playoffs until now.
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Despite winning 10 or more games in three consecutive seasons, Penn State had never finished higher than No. 10 until last season. In the playoffs, it won two games before losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 27-24 on a last-second field goal in the semifinals.
Penn State Nittany Lions HC James Franklin.© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
On his podcast, “See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack,” college football analyst David Pollack discussed his pre-spring rankings, placing the Nittany Lions at No. 5 in the country. While Pollack believes this ranking may be slightly optimistic, he feels no need to alter it now that spring practice has concluded.
“Penn State at five, to me, is high anyway,” Pollack said. “Like, Penn State, to think about them, and they haven’t been traditionally at this spot consistently. Obviously, you lose Abdul Carter, but the guys coming back and the system. I still think Penn State’s a team that’s going to be incredible.”
Penn State’s strength this season lies in the return of many key players. The Nittany Lions welcome back quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Overall, the team returns 63% of its production, which ranks 33rd in the country.
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Most of this returning production is on offense, with Penn State bringing back 72% of its offensive output, ranking 14th nationally. However, they will feel the impact of losing defensive standout Abdul Carter, who had 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss last season. His strong performance earned him a No. 3 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Penn State’s season opener is scheduled against Nevada on August 30.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names College Football Playoff Team That ‘Can Never Win a Big Game’
