Indiana was crowned the College Football Playoff Champion on Monday with a 27-21 final score against Miami. The Hoosiers claimed the spot that Penn State football was expected to hold by the end of 2025-26, but a crash-and-burn season quickly wiped away all hope to even make the CFP. By Week 14, the Nittany Lions fought for a spot in a non-playoff bowl game, never mind a national championship appearance.
Penn State on verge of landing 5-star commit with massive weekend visit on the way
Penn State was three points from beating Indiana in the teams' regular season matchup in Week 11. By this time, former Nittany Lion quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was comfortable in his role as a starter under center and then-interim head coach Terry Smith reignited the locker room. Unfortunately, the future national title winners gave Penn State its sixth consecutive loss, beating the Nittany Lions 27-24.
That field goal difference was something the 2025 Penn State team could claim as a moral victory. However, looking back on 2023 and 2024, that loss is really just another reminder of the Nittany Lions always being "right there."
Close, but not close enough.
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) January 20, 2026
With Indiana's title victory on Monday, Penn State football has now lost to the eventual national champion by single digits in each of the last three seasons. #WeAre #PennState pic.twitter.com/8HwAp9BP86
Ohio State, the 2024 national champions, beat Penn State 20-13 in their regular season battle. The season before, the 2023 champion, Michigan, defeated the Nittany Lions, 24-15 in their regular season game.
Penn State was one possession away from at least tying both the Hoosiers and Buckeyes. The blue and white would have needed two possessions to win versus the Wolverines, but a single-digit deficit still twists the knife.
It's a devastating reminder of just how close the Nittany Lions can get. They're right there, whether it's claiming a victory over the future champions and proving themselves as worthy and threatening competitors or punching their ticket to the CFP National Championship Game. Just like how they were within inches of the future title holders, they were in arm's reach of defeating Notre Dame and making it to the championship game in the 2024-25 season.
One possession, one score, sometimes even one play is all it takes to put a wrench in Penn State's plans. Looking ahead, head coach Matt Campbell's rebuilding efforts have to be enough to break that barrier and break that pattern.