James Franklin has been Penn State’s Head Coach since the 2014 season. He took over at Penn State after Bill O'Brien left for the Houston Texans of the NFL. When Franklin took over, Penn State was only 2 years removed from Joe Paterno being fired and was still facing a crisis as a program. He helped stabilize the program and contributed to Penn State's breakthrough season in 2016, culminating in a win over Ohio State and the Big Ten championship. Ever since the 2016 season, Penn State has had some successful seasons but has not won the Big Ten or beaten Ohio State since. That is why James Franklin faces more pressure than ever to win the Big Ten Title this year.
Paul Finebaum is right about James Franklin: You can't trust the guy.
— Sean Fitzgerald (@fitzonsportsbsr) July 21, 2025
Ask the biggest Nittany Lion fan I know, @quentingriffin_. pic.twitter.com/rmcKwAgw1q
Last year was another classic Franklin season, as they beat every team they were expected to win on their schedule but still lost to Ohio State in the regular season and Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. Penn State beat SMU and Boise State in the 1st two playoff games as they were heavy favorites. Then, in the College Football quarterfinals, they played against a good Notre Dame team and lost a heartbreaker 27-24. After losing to Notre Dame, James Franklin’s record is now 1-18 against top 5 teams and 4-20 against top 10 teams.
Here’s the Big Ten preseason media poll from @KOTNCFB 🏈
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) July 21, 2025
1. Penn State (35 first-place votes)
2. Ohio State (18)
3. Oregon (1)
4. Illinois
5. Michigan
6. Indiana
7. USC
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Washington
11. Minnesota
12. Wisconsin
13. Michigan State
14. UCLA
15. Rutgers
16.…
The hope for Franklin is that Penn State brings back 14 starters from last year’s team. Including quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State also went into the portal and signed two wide receivers in Trebor Pena and Kyron Hudson. Both should help with their pedestrian receiver room. On paper, this is Franklin’s best team. This gives hope to Penn State fans that they could win a national championship, following in the footsteps of Michigan and Ohio State, the last two national champions.
James Franklin is the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten, and 2025 will be his 15th season as a head coach. It will also be the season that defines his career.https://t.co/sq76WQFwpo pic.twitter.com/fQVAcQIlhI
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) July 18, 2025
For Franklin, in a lot of ways, it is a do-or-die season. He is not in jeopardy of getting fired at the end of the season, but the fan base would lose even more faith in him as a head coach. The other part of the pressure on Franklin is Ohio State and Oregon, both of which are retooling, and this might be their worst team in the next few seasons. Plus, you have a Michigan team that is currently trending down, so this year is a golden opportunity for Franklin to beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten, and make a National Title game run.