Fansided

College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games

By Brad Weiss

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the College Football Playoff championship trophy during the game between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
21 of 25
Next
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass in the first quarter against the USC Trojans during the 103rd Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. USC defeated Penn State 52-49 in the highest scoring game in Rose Bowl history. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) throws a pass in the first quarter against the USC Trojans during the 103rd Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl. USC defeated Penn State 52-49 in the highest scoring game in Rose Bowl history. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
5

Penn State Nittany Lions

2016: 11-3, Big Ten- East Division

Our top-5 kicks off with the Penn State Nittany Lions, who head into 2017 brimming with confidence after a stellar end to the regular season. While the Lions lost an incredible Rose Bowl game against the USC Trojans, they have to be happy with the state of the program. Head coach James Franklin has his team believing in themselves once again, and that could spell big trouble for the Big Ten, and the rest of the country in 2017.

It all starts at quarterback, and the Lions have a good one in Trace McSorley. This kid put the team on his back with the season on the line time and time again in 2016, as the Nittany Lions came out of nowhere to win the Big Ten title. He loses his top wide receiver in Chris Godwin for the 2017 season, but guys like DaeSean Hamilton and Saeed Blacknall should have no problem picking up the slack in Happy Valley.

While the Lions have a stud at quarterback, they may have the best player in college football at running back. Saquon Barkley could be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, as he seems to get better each season. This will likely be his last season on campus for Penn State, and you can be sure he is going to have a monster year for the Nittany Lions. Penn State is not going to sneak up on anybody this year, and they have the horses to beat anybody on their schedule.

Penn State has a tough schedule, as they will host Michigan and Pittsburgh, and will hit the road to take on Ohio State. Still, this is an incredibly experienced unit, who should be solid on both sides of the ball in 2017. Linebacker Jason Cabinda is the captain and leader of the defense, and while there may be a few weak spots along the defensive line, this Nittany Lions team is built to play for a title this season.

Home/College Football