James Franklin’s 2025 Vision: The Untold Strategy Behind Penn State’s Boldest Season Yet
“There’s a ton of conversations that are happening nationally. We embrace that,” Franklin said to the media at the annual Big Ten football media day event, referring to the offseason talk placing high expectations on Penn State. “We’ve earned that based on what we’ve been able to do and what we’ve got coming back. There’s a lot of people that are excited on a national level talking about us.”
- Penn State football coach James Franklin acknowledges the high expectations surrounding the team.
- The Nittany Lions are considered a top contender in the Big Ten and nationally.
- Franklin emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present rather than preseason rankings.
“It’s a great conversation, but who really cares about preseason rankings? They mean nothing,” Franklin said. “It’s a good argument to have and everybody has fun with it, but the only rankings that matter are the ones that happen at the end of the season, and that’s what we’re concerned about. The only way we’ll do that is by handling our business today.”Every time James Franklin steps up to the podium at Big Ten media day, there’s this palpable buzz — a mix of anticipation and intense scrutiny. This year, that energy was cranked up several notches. Penn State, with its storied legacy, is no longer just a contender; many see the Nittany Lions as the darlings of the Big Ten and serious national title threats. Franklin knows the weight of those expectations is heavy — no surprise, given how close the team came last season to the ultimate prize. Yet, despite the chatter swirling around preseason rankings, his focus remains razor-sharp on the here and now. For all the hype and spotlight, what really counts to Franklin and his squad is the work that starts at kickoff, not headlines months ahead. Curious for the full story and more? LEARN MORE
Penn State begins its season at home on Aug. 30 with a home game against Nevada. View the full 2025 Penn State football schedule and updated kickoff times.Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
As Penn State head coach James Franklin approached the microphone for his annual round at the podium for Big Ten football media day on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas, he did so with the eyes of the college football world on him like never before. Penn State arrived at Big Ten media day with many around the nation considering the Nittany Lions a top threat in the conference, and perhaps more. That rising pressure was not lost on the head coach of the program, who is no stranger to talking about his position being under pressure in the big moments during his career at Penn State.
“We had what a lot of people would consider a really good season last year,” Franklin said. “We were a game away from playing for the National Championship, and you could actually make the argument a drive away from playing for the National Championship, but it didn’t feel that way, right? Because the expectations at Penn State are really high.”Penn State returns a roster with an experienced starting quarterback (Drew Allar), a dynamic running back duo (Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen), a talented defense under a new high profile defensive coordinator, and a wide receiver unit boosted by additions form the transfer portal to help the one biggest concern on the roster coming off the 2024 season. Penn State played for a Big Ten championship and reached the College Football Playoff semifinal, and was as close to playing for a national title as they have been under Franklin to this point.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.Penn State has been appearing at the top of many preseason rankings and polls this offseason despite not being the defending Big Ten champion (Oregon) or the reigning national champion (Ohio State). Penn State faces both of those teams in the 2025 season and lost to both last season. But Franklin is not wasting time worrying about the preseason hype train running at full steam.
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