In a year that started with so much hope, Penn State football somehow ended up wearing the label of college football’s biggest letdown for 2025. The Nittany Lions opened at No. 2, but things fell apart fast, and a string of brutal losses left fans stunned and analysts scrambling for answers.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford dug into the collapse, pointing out not just the defeats but what they might mean for James Franklin and the whole program. Let’s take a closer look at what went wrong.
Penn State’s Disastrous 2025 Season
This was supposed to be Penn State’s year. With so many key players back from a squad that nearly made the national championship game, expectations couldn’t have been higher.
But reality—well, it just didn’t match the hype.
The Early Downfall
The season started to slip away almost immediately. After a decent start, Penn State lost a heartbreaker in double-overtime to Oregon.
That one stung, and it set the stage for an ugly stretch, including a rough loss at UCLA. For a team everyone had pegged as a top-3 contender, those first few weeks were a gut punch.
Brad Crawford’s Analysis
As the College Football Playoff National Championship Game drew near, Brad Crawford took stock of the year’s biggest underachievers. Penn State topped his list, which, let’s be honest, is not where anyone wants to be.
Crawford didn’t just focus on 2025, either. He pulled in a broader view, looking at the patterns under James Franklin’s leadership.
Franklin’s Struggles Against Top Teams
Some of the numbers Crawford highlighted were just brutal:
- 15 straight losses to AP top-six opponents
- A 2-21 record against top-six teams (worst ever for an FBS head coach)
- Penn State became the first FBS team since 1978 to drop back-to-back games as 20-point favorites
- Just 4 wins and 17 losses against Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan
Honestly, it’s tough to sugarcoat that. The program just hasn’t managed to deliver when it really matters, despite all the preseason buzz.
The Role of Preseason Hype
Crawford really hammered home how the preseason hype made everything worse. He argued that all that early praise just made the eventual collapse feel even more painful.
If Penn State hadn’t started out with the world expecting greatness, maybe the disappointment wouldn’t have been quite so sharp.
High Expectations, Higher Disappointments
The hype wasn’t just hot air—it was built on last year’s near-miss at the title game. But as the losses stacked up, the gap between what fans hoped for and what actually happened just grew wider.
The Nittany Lions’ quick fall from grace became one of the most talked-about stories in college football all year.
Looking Forward
Now, Penn State has to figure out what’s next. The sting of 2025 will linger, no doubt.
The team needs to find a way to match preseason promise with real results, especially in big games. For James Franklin, the pressure’s on—big time.
Rebuilding and Redemption
Getting back on track won’t be simple. If they’re going to climb out of this hole, a few things have to change:
- Recruiting top talent to patch up the roster
- Crafting a game plan that holds up under pressure
- Building mental toughness so early setbacks don’t spiral
Will Penn State bounce back? It’s hard to say. But if they want to be among college football’s elite again, they’ll have to learn from this mess and come back stronger.
Conclusion
The 2025 season will stick in memory for Penn State football fans, but probably not for the best reasons. Expectations soared, but those early letdowns set the tone for what became a pretty rough ride.
Honestly, it felt like everything that could go wrong, did. If you’re curious for the nitty-gritty, check out the full article on how CBS Sports deems Penn State as college football’s biggest whiff of 2025.
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