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After ending the 2024 campaign with a 13-3 record (8-1 in Big Ten play) and a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance, Penn State coach James Franklin addressed the high expectations surrounding his team heading into the 2025 season.
After the release of the Coaches Poll on Monday, which placed Penn State in the third position with 14 votes out of 67, Franklin shared his thoughts on the ranking on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.” He said that from a national perspective, there is more talk about Penn State this year than there has been in a long time.
However, he stressed that the high expectations are nothing new for the program.
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“It doesn't feel any different in this building, on this campus or in this community, because the expectations of Penn State are always really, really high,” Franklin said on Monday (Timestamp: 5:24)
He then mentioned the team’s strong run in 2024, but how many were still unhappy with the season’s outcome, which shows the high standards at Penn State. Franklin also commended his players for being deserving of the national respect reflected in the preseason rankings. However, he also downplayed the value of the polls.
“At the end of the day, preseason polls mean absolutely nothing. They’re great for people to sit on the beach and read or discuss, or media people to have arguments about, but at the end of the day, preseason polls mean nothing.”
Penn State’s chances at the 2025 national championship
James Franklin's program is looking to make a strong push in 2025 after losing 27-24 to Notre Dame in the playoff semifinal last season. With a relatively easy Big Ten schedule, with hard games mainly against Ohio State on the road and Oregon at home, the Nittany Lions will start their campaign with three nonconference games against Nevada, Florida International and Villanova.
According to ESPN’s FPI, the school is ranked fifth nationally, with a 7.6% chance of winning the national championship and a 63.8% chance of returning to the playoff.
This optimism is driven by the return of cornerstone players (with 63% of last year’s production retained), including quarterback Drew Allar, who threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns last year, with six rushing scores.
Running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will also return, both having rushed for over 1,000 yards each last season and combined for 20 rushing touchdowns. Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant will return on defense.
