It's not a mystery that Penn State football was one of the most disappointing programs across the country in 2025. The Nittany Lions started off as the No. 2 ranked team in the preseason and quickly proved they're anything but once Big Ten play came into action.
Former Penn State QB Beau Pribula positions himself as James Franklin’s biggest rival
As the College Football Playoff National Championship Game slowly approaches, CBS Sports' Brad Crawford looked back at college football's "biggest underachievers" from the season.
While Penn State didn't end up No. 1 in the country, it ended up No. 1 on Crawford's list.
Brad Crawford says preseason hype was too much for Penn State football to handle
"After retaining a number of key players who led the Nittany Lions one win shy of a national championship game appearance last season, [head coach James] Franklin and Penn State fell quickly as a preseason top-3 team," Crawford wrote. "The double-overtime loss to Oregon was tough to stomach, but nothing compared to what the next several weeks would involve, including the colossal setback at UCLA the next time out."
Crawford went a step further, rubbing more salt in the wound. Not only did he looked back at what the Nittany Lions were supposed to be according to predictions back in August, but he reminded Penn State fans of just how much Franklin accomplished with the blue and white — or more so couldn't.
He listed out four stats under Franklin's tenure. This included his 15 consecutive losses to AP top-six opponents, a 2-21 record against top-six teams (worst of any FBS head coach all-time, Crawford emphasized), Penn State becoming the first FBS team since 1978 to lose consecutive contests as 20-point favorites, and a 4-17 record against Big Ten rivals, Ohio State and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions' abrupt downfall early in the season is certainly the most disasterous story from college football. As Crawford pointed out, though, it was the preseason hype that made that so.
Yes, Penn State's season was a bust and it still would have been embarrassing regardless of how high or low expectations were. If the preseason hype wasn't shoved down people's throats and in their faces, however, the season would've been easier to accept and potentially not the worst turnout across the country in comparison to other programs.