James Franklin on Penn State wrestling: It’s not just about winning; it’s about dominating

Penn State football had a historic season in 2024, winning a program-record 13 games and reaching the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Looking ahead in 2025, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions seem poised to continue the momentum and compete for a national title.

But across campus, national titles and historic seasons are becoming commonplace for Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program. On Friday night, the Nittany Lions extended their record-breaking winning streak to 66 duals with a beatdown of No. 2 Iowa 30-8 inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

What are the coaches in the Lasch Building taking away from the success of their counterparts inside the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex? For one, it’s not enough to just win; it’s about winning emphatically.

“Cael does an unbelievable job,” Franklin said in an interview with the Big Ten Network during Friday night’s dual in State College. “We’ve gotten pretty close. He came and spoke to our team twice this year. Just had a great message for our guys.

“They recruit well. They develop well. They understand what it’s all about. It’s not just about winning; it’s about dominating. And he’s done an unbelievable job. Obviously, as you guys know better than me, the success that they’ve been able to have and the dominant force that they’ve been in college wrestling – there’s nothing like it that’s ever been done before.”

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Earning a decisive win over the country’s second-ranked program, Sanderson and the Nittany Lions appear to be barreling full steam ahead toward a fourth consecutive NCAA Championship. Now sitting at 10-0, Penn State wrestling appears to be in a class of its own.

Penn State football also made an emphatic statement this week, although it came via its pocketbook rather than as the result any on-field action. The Nittany Lions made a bold and historic offer on the defensive side of the ball, hiring Ohio State’s Jim Knowles to coordinate the unit.

Even though they’re in very different places as February begins, both programs hope that 2025 will end with a championship.

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