The Oregon-Penn State Conundrum: Are Both Locks for the Playoffs in 2025?

[30Duck]

Oregon is starting a brand new QB, behind a new OL, he'll be handing off to new runningbacks, throwing to new receivers, and the defense will be new too. But an objective floor for Oregon is 10-2.

 

Penn State has a returning QB, returning RB's, two returning LB's. They won't have their all-American TE, or edge rusher back, but it looks like it will be happy time in Happy Valley. Is the biggest factor that Lanning returns at Oregon and Franklin at Penn State?

[Jon Joseph]

 

The game at PSU is one of the two games OBD plays against the preseason top 25. The other being in Autzen two weeks later against Indiana.

 

However, the games at Iowa and home against USC could be top 25 matchups. And UW in Seattle could be a top 25 matchup. Jedd Fisch has not lost a home game in Husky Stadium.

 

 

[JabbaNoBargain]

It’s difficult to imagine 10-2 in the B1G not making the playoff. 9-3 will eventually happen

[GatOrlando]

On 5/16/2025 at 2:43 PM, 30Duck said:

Is the biggest factor that Lanning returns at Oregon and Franklin at Penn State?

I think this matters most. At most you have a starting QB for three years. Nick Saban lost QBs, coordinators, and everybody else just about every two years. He was the cog, Alabama was the rehab stint for guys like Kiffin, Sarkasian and O'Brien. He was the launching point for Kirby, Locksley and MacElwain. Lanning is going to go through the same thing if he continues winning ten plus games every year and wins at least one big game a year.

 

Who has come off a James Franklin coaching tree and been successfully? Joe Moorehead at Mississippi State? What big games has Franklin won in his tenure? 2016 when he beat Ohio State and Wisconsin to win the league. He didn't even finish that year off as he lost to Clay Helton in the Rose Bowl. Lanning had more big wins in one year and has as many conference titles as Franklin already.