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College football analyst Scott Van Pelt has pointed out an area of improvement for Penn State coach James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar. Pelt discussed this on the Tuesday episode of ESPN’s SVPod, pointing out the need for Franklin to win big games.
The ESPN analyst noted that Allar needs to come through against the Nittany Lions’ toughest opponents. He said:
“I just find it interesting how the rep that he arrived with, that he’s going to be the guy, because he’s going to be different than the guy we didn’t like, because he couldn’t win the big games. He hasn’t done it yet, or hadn’t won the biggest games.”
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Pelt added:
“How he does this year will be a gigantic talking point before the season begins and then once they start playing. Because they’re loaded and should absolutely be able to playoff team. But he’s going to need to be the guy at some point, to be the reason they win a big game.
"At some point it’s time for him to be the guy that leads them down on the field on a drive, throws a touchdown pass or whatever, and then absolutely realizes the sort of vision that everyone had when they came in for why he was going to be different than his predecessor.”
Penn State hype and the pressure on James Franklin for results against rivals
The Nittany Lions are one of the most hyped teams ahead of the 2025 season. There are expectations that James Franklin will finally lead the team to a national championship. On both the offensive and defensive sides, the team is in good shape.
Quarterback Drew Allar is an important part of this setup. He is one of the leaders of the team and will be instrumental in how far the team goes this season. According to The Sporting News, he is the No. 1 quarterback in the Big Ten.
To repeat their performance from last season, the Nittany Lions will be competing against and with Big Ten rivals like Ohio State and Oregon. Under James Franklin, Penn State has struggled in high-stakes games.
As impressive as Franklin’s 101-42 record as Penn State's coach is, constantly losing to Michigan, Oregon and Ohio State has been putting pressure on him.
The Nittany Lions will open their 2025 campaign against Nevada on Aug. 30.
