Penn State football was the No. 2 team in the country in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Nittany Lions had everything they needed. They had 14 returning starters, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles fresh out of Ohio State's national championship season, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki completing that dominant coordinator duo, and head coach James Franklin entering year 12 with everything to prove and everything to lose.
The blue and white were a favorite to hoist the College Football Playoff trophy at the end of the season. If it was any team's season on paper, it was Penn State's.