Penn State's Offense Gets a Power Boost in EA Sports' College Football 25

The Nittany Lions receive a surprising offensive rating in the college football game reboot.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar hands off to running back Nicholas Singleton during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

After ranking Beaver Stadium as the sixth-toughest place to play in college football, EA Sports came back with a generous grade for the Nittany Lions' offense. Penn State checked in at an eye-popping No. 12 overall in the College Football 25 offensive power rankings, one year after ranking 55th nationally in total offense and 79th in passing offense.

Penn State's overall rating (OVR) is 87, same as that of Kansas, former home to Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. With Kotelnicki taking control of an offense that returns quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and tight end Tyler Warren, EA Sports evidently sees improvement ahead.

Meanwhile, College Football 25 isn't so sure about a repeat performance from the Penn State defense. Under new coordinator Tom Allen, and having lost five starters to the NFL, the Nittany Lions rank ninth in the defensive rankings with an OVR of 88. Penn State carries the same OVR as Texas and trails top-ranked Ohio State (96), Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan.

RELATED: Is Beaver Stadium underrated in College Football 25?

The offensive ranking EA Sports generated for Penn State is most intriguing. According to a blog post, EA Sports power-ranked teams by examining "hundreds of thousands of data points" It also enlisted Pro Football Focus to analyze "all 134 rosters, thousands of players, years worth of game film, and mountains of stats..."

We’re baaaaack! What do you think of the #CFB25 highest rated offenses?

Top 25 | 🔗 : https://t.co/QJRUvTib0f pic.twitter.com/qZ7a0n08dB

— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) June 27, 2024

Penn State's No. 12 power ranking mirrored its national ranking in scoring offense last season. However, the Nittany Lions didn't exactly light up the rest of the country offensively in many categories. A brief look at Penn State's national rankings:

• Turnovers lost: No. 3

• Sacks allowed: No. 17

• Rushing offense: No. 29

• Third-down conversions: No. 54

• Total offense: No. 55

• Run plays of 20+ yards: No. 62

• Passing offense: No. 79

• Plays of 20+ yards: No. 97

• Pass plays of 20+ yards: No. 109

The first two stats, turnovers lost and sacks allowed, are important since they represent assets from last season that might change in 2024. Allar, who threw just two interceptions in his first season as starter, will play in a new offense that might ask him to take more chances. That could upgrade the big-play potential while also increasing the interception rate.

Meanwhile, Penn State's offensive line allowed just 16 sacks last season, including none by left tackle Olu Fashanu, the New York Jets' first-round pick. Penn State must replace three starting offensive linemen who were drafted, a first for the program since 1996.

Then, of course, Penn State must refresh the wide receiver position, which contributed to Allar's 59.9 completion percentage last season. Perhaps EA Sports got a pitch from Penn State receivers coach Marcus Hagans, who said his group is eager to change minds this season.

"Everybody has a chance to grow and learn in different areas and aspects of their career," Hagans said. "And the guys that we have here, like we made a pact, we're not looking back. So everything that we're focused on is now and then into the future, and guys are getting better at little things. Culturally, we're growing collectively. That will allow us to play harder, to play better, and do whatever it requires to help our team win."

Penn State fans get their first chance to play EA Sports' College Football 25 on July 19. The actual Nittany Lions open the 2024 football season Aug. 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.