Paul Finebaum ditches Ryan Day's Ohio State while revealing his pick for best Big Ten program in 2025

Paul Finebaum doesn't believe the Ohio State Buckeyes are the best team in the Big Ten ahead of the 2025 season. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the college football analyst feels the Penn State Nittany Lions are better than the Buckeyes.

"I think the best team in the Big Ten is Penn State," Finebaum said.

The Nittany Lions finished with a 13-3 record and clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff last season. On Jan. 9, they suffered a close 27-24 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl.

Penn State coach James Franklin retained several key players for the 2025 season, including starting quarterback Drew Allar. The QB1 finished his junior year with 262 completions for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns. One of his best performances was in the Nittany Lions' 56-0 victory against the Kent State Golden Flashes on Sep. 21. The quarterback completed 17 of 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

Another player that could play a key role in Penn State competing for the top spot in the Big Ten is running back Kaytron Allen. He led the team in rushing yards last season with 220 carries for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns.

Despite Finebaum's claims, Ohio State coach Ryan Day is still projected to have the best team in the nation. DraftKings has the Buckeyes as the favorite to win the College Football Playoff National Championship next year at +500.

Day will also have notable key players returning for the 2025 season, including Jeremiah Smith. The wide receiver achieved 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in his freshman year.

Nittany Lions looking to avenge loss against the Buckeyes in 2025

The Penn State Nittany Lions will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Nov. 1. Last season, Ryan Day led the Buckeyes to a 20-13 win against the Nittany Lions on Nov. 2.

Drew Allar struggled, completing 12 of 20 passes for 146 yards and one interception. Former Buckeyes' starting quarterback Will Howard outperformed Allar by completing 16 of 24 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

Day is expected to have Julian Sayin as the team's new starting quarterback for the 2025 season. He finished last year with five completed passes for 84 yards and one touchdown as a backup player.

Penn State will try to snap an eight-year losing streak against Ohio State.