Paul Finebaum skeptical of James Franklin rising to 2025 expectations

It’s no secret that Penn State football enters the 2025 season with some of the highest expectations in the country. With the core of the roster that came within minutes of a championship appearance in January, the Nittany Lions are firmly among the contenders to hoist a national title trophy this year.

While the Blue and White have been a darling of the national media all offseason, not everyone is confident in Penn State’s chances of living up to this season’s lofty expectations. Speaking about the top teams feeling the most pressure this fall, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum stated that the Nittany Lions’ success or failure in 2025 rests entirely on the shoulders of head coach James Franklin.

“I believe it’s Penn State because of this reason: they may very well be favored to win the Big Ten, and James Franklin does not handle pressure well,” Finebaum said. “He had a 10-point lead against Ohio State last year. Blew it. He had a 10-point lead against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Blew it. And that’s why he gets in trouble with his fanbase. His record is exemplary, but he can’t seem to handle the pressure and he has it now.”

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Of course, Franklin’s struggles against elite competition are well documented. The 12th-year head coach is 1-15 against top-five programs since taking over the Penn State football program in 2014. Despite issues with the spotlight, the Nittany Lions overcame one longtime hurdle in 2024, reaching and winning a pair of College Football Playoff games en route to the National Semifinal.

“I think the first thing, you have to embrace that, right? That’s the nature of major college football,” Franklin said recently of the Nittany Lions’ high expectations. “That’s part of being at a place like Penn State. I mean, we finished fifth in the country last year and people are pissed, right? That’s what the Penn State job is about, and you’ve got to embrace that. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve been as consistent as any program in the country. We’ve been as consistent at Penn State that Penn State’s ever been since joining the Big Ten.

“So I’m proud of all those things. But, I also understand and fully embrace that we got to take that next step. And it’s winning those games that you’re talking about. We totally understand that and we’re excited about it. That’s what this year is all about – about taking those steps…I’m proud of the staff and I’m proud of the players of how we’re approaching it. And we’ve got a tremendous opportunity to change that conversation and change that narrative.”

Penn State opens the season in 49 days against Nevada.

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