By Jay Berry
The cold February weather may be freezing my brain, but I believe this matchup could very well occur in the 2025 national championship game.
In the 2025 college football season, a Big Ten team will likely face off against an SEC team in the national championship game.
The Big Ten conference has won the last two national championships: Michigan in the 2023 season and Ohio State in the 2024 season. Now it’s time for another Big Ten program to get on that big stage.
Penn State, the Perennial Big Ten third-place team, will make it to South Beach to play in the Capital One Orange Bowl national championship game.
This could be a make-or-break season for James Franklin. Since taking over the job at State College, Pennsylvania, in 2014, he has a record of 101–42. It’s not terrible, and with the 12-team playoff, he could be a consistent playoff contender, but there is too much money involved now just to maybe be a playoff team.
After two mediocre seasons in 2020 and 2021, Franklin got the program back on track these last three seasons. Posting an 11–2 record in 2022, including a Rose Bowl win. 10–3 in 2023, including a Peach Bowl loss and this most recent semifinal appearance, finishing with a record of 13–3.
While Penn Stats is losing some players, including Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren, the majority of the team returns, including quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nick, Singleton, and Kaytron Allen, who both rushed for 1000 yards last year, cornerback Cam Miller, and defensive end Dani Dennis–Sutton. Transfer portal additions are not included. They also hired defensive coordinator Jim Knowles away from Ohio State.
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Penn State hiring Jim Knowles from Ohio State is a major win for James Franklin https://t.co/KYse4WZybv
— Penn State Football (@psufootball) February 6, 2025
It won’t be easy, but if Franklin is ever going to make it all the way, this is the year to do it.
The team they will face will be the LSU Tigers from the SEC, another program and coach who needs to step forward. Brian Kelly is under more intense pressure. Many people have claimed that James Franklin can’t win big games, while in a similar vein, Brian Kelly hasn’t won anything.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier is receiving significant national attention as a Heisman Trophy candidate for the 2025 season.
Now, he holds the No. 1 odds according to multiple outlets.
The Tigers' QB1 returns to Baton Rouge with lofty expectations.
The Buzz: https://t.co/gyC8tskJoz pic.twitter.com/Z1yRfRUZud
— LSU Tigers On SI (@LSUTigersSI) January 21, 2025
His first three seasons in Death Valley haven’t been terrible, but they haven’t met expectations. The 2022 season saw him finish the regular season 9–3, then losing to Georgia in the SEC championship game, but nobody thought they were a contender in that game. They would win the Citrus Bowl that season and finish 10–4. They concluded 2023 with a record of 10–3, including a ReliaQuest Bowl win, and this past season, they finished with a combined record of 9–4, which ended in a Texas Bowl win.
Not only does Brian Kelly have a massive contract of 10 years and 95 million, but Notre Dame, the previous program he coached, made it to the national championship game this year, losing to Ohio State.
Like Penn State, LSU has several key returning players. The defensive side of the ball includes multiple returning players, along with a dynamic offensive unit led by returning quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
This year presents a significant opportunity for Penn State in the Big Ten, while LSU has promising prospects in the SEC. With Alabama experiencing a decline in performance in their first year after Nick Saban and Georgia making the playoffs but not appearing as dominant as they have in previous seasons, there is ample room for LSU to excel. Additionally, Lane Kiffin has again fallen short of expectations at Ole Miss this past year.
If Brian Kelly is going to take the next step, 2025 is the season.
Once again, this projection is premature, as we are in February. 2025 undoubtedly presents a solid path for both programs, and Brian Kelly’s seat might get really hot if they don’t at least make the playoffs.
However, I think it’s the year for both programs.