The Big Lead

Which 2025 College Football Playoff fan bases would a national title be most meaningful for?

By Sam Westmoreland

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players at the end of the game against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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4. PENN STATE

James Franklin and Penn State can finally silence the critics with a win here.
Nov 9, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes the hand of a recruit following a game against the Washington Huskies at Beaver Stadium. Penn State won 35-6. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State haven't won a national title since 1982. They probably deserved one in 1994, but came second in the AP and Coaches Polls behind Nebraska. Despite long being one of the country's top programs, the Nittany Lions have a long reputation for being the eternal bridesmaids of the sport: always good enough to be in the national title conversation, seldom good or popular enough to win it.

That tradition has continued under James Franklin; Penn State are usually the third-best team in the Big Ten, not good enough to beat Ohio State or Michigan most years, but better than everyone else.

Now, with a fairly easy path to the semifinals at the very least, the Nittany Lion fan base is desperate to show the world that they're a true modern blue blood. The only thing keeping them from further climbing these ranks is a lack of recent title expectation; without that particular brand of heartache, it's hard to get much higher than this.

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