Another Big Ten team has won the national title, and Penn State is still waiting its turn.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23 to win its second national title of the College Football Playoff era.
Last season, Ohio State’s big rival, Michigan, took the national title for the first time since the 1997 season.
Penn State and its fans have been waiting since 1986. This season was the closest it’s come to winning it all since 1994, perhaps even longer.
In 1994, Penn State didn’t get the chance to play in the College Football Playoff despite going undefeated. This team got a chance to play in the Playoff and won two games. Unfortunately for PSU, it ended up falling two wins short, losing to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl/Semifinal.
Penn State Drops Orange Bowl to Notre Dame in Heartbreaking Fashion
SO CLOSE, YET…
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Penn State came so close to playing Ohio State for the championship, which makes the fact that Notre Dame made it aggravating to many PSU fans. For many, Penn State should have beat Notre Dame. PSU had a 10-point lead late in the first half and a seven-point lead within the last five minutes of the game. But two big plays— a long TD pass by ND and a late INT by Penn State QB Drew Allar— helped Notre Dame to a comeback.
The game-winning score was a 41-yard field goal by ND kicker Mitch Jeter. To add more insult to injury for PSU fans, Jeter missed a much shorter FG (27 yards) in the fourth quarter against Ohio State.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: James Franklin
So what comes next for PSU football? Well, considering the team is bringing back stars such as Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant, there’s no reason to think PSU won’t be a national title contender again in 2025.
PSU opens the season against Nevada Aug. 30 at Beaver Stadium.
