It’s one thing to make the watch list for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious QB honor in college football. It’s another to do it while still carrying the weight of a season that ended just one field goal short of a national title shot. Drew Allar has already solidified his status as one of PSU’s all-time greats in terms of stats. But James Franklin’s QB1 has never chased the stats. Instead, the aim is for the ultimate glory.

Allar hasn’t held back from acknowledging the pain of those big-stage slip-ups that have kept the Lions away from that glory. When he reflected on the Notre Dame loss, which included tough games against Ohio State and Oregon. He completed just 54% of his passes with a 3:4 TD-to-INT ratio. Instead of going to the pros, Allar returned to Happy Valley for one final run instead, with a road test against Ohio State on November 1 marked in red and an opportunity to change the course of events.

In a recent interview with Ross Tucker, Drew Allar was asked about how often he thinks about the Notre Dame game. That’s the last memory of Penn State’s fans about the last season. Before Notre Dame’s field goal, there was a turnover. By Allar. A costly one that gave the ball back to the Irish in the dying minutes of the 4th quarter. In his worst performance of the season, he went just 12-for-23 passing for 135 yards.

Allar replied, “I do think about it off and on a fair amount of time, but honestly, like with camp starting, I kind of moved on from it. I’ve definitely learned from it. I’ve had to work on how to grow from that moment. But you know, uh, as much as it sucked, I think it was for the best.” That performance in a crucial game was really disastrous for both Allar and Penn State fans. Allar had trouble finding his rhythm in the Orange Bowl during the CFP semifinal.

That loss was a gut punch for a Penn State team that had been riding high after two playoff victories. Allar and the Nittany Lions had realistic hopes of winning the national championship, but their hopes were crushed in the final few seconds. A season that was beginning to take shape as one of the most memorable in program history came to an end with Notre Dame’s game-winning drive. Penn State was one play away from changing the school’s postseason history, but instead of celebrating a trip to the national championship, they were left with a 27–24 loss.

Penn State’s best shot in years to chase a title

Penn State is starting 2025 in an unusual position as they rank No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25, their highest starting position in nearly thirty years. The last time the Nittany Lions started the season higher was in 1997, when they were ranked first. An early top-5 ranking does not, of course, ensure a fairytale season in Happy Valley, but it certainly sets the stage for some big expectations from the start.

If there’s ever been a Penn State team built to finally take down Ohio State, this is it. This is the Penn State squad that was designed to defeat Ohio State in the end. In Happy Valley, nine years without defeating the Buckeyes is a long time, but the 2025 team has the skill, depth, and swagger to change that. Jim Knowles is leading a defense that could make any offense in the nation sweat; the majority of last year’s core is back, and the roster has been strengthened with new offensive skills. His 4-2-5 scheme fits this staff perfectly.

With a defensive front led by Dani Dennis-Sutton and a standout freshman like Daniel Jennings wreaking havoc, Drew Allar is ready to go full beast mode, and the Singleton–Allen duo is reminding everyone why they remain the best backfield in college football. The star power is there, the schedule is ideal, and the coaching adjustments could make all the difference during the most crucial moments. Everything indicates Penn State will transform its potential into an incredible season in 2025.