"That's a lot of pressure" - CFB analyst predicts James Franklin's future if Penn State fails to win national championship in 2025

James Franklin has guided the Penn State Nittany Lions to 10 winning seasons in his 11-year stint. While Franklin has been pivotal in Penn State's rise as a collegiate football powerhouse, there have been numerous questions around his perceived penchant to underachieve with the resources at his disposal.

These questions were regularly asked in the 2024 season as the Nittany Lions reached the College Football Playoff semifinals before losing to Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The game ended 27-24 as the Fighting Irish denied Franklin the chance to compete for the national championship.

College football analyst Craig Shemon predicted Franklin's future on Tuesday's edition of the "Locked On Big Ten" podcast.

"So there was huge progress last year," Shemon said (Timestamp: 5:49). "You can't take that away from Franklin. They are definitely trending in the right direction, trying to break through that glass ceiling. ... They got to break the glass ceiling, get to a natty and preferably win it. That's a lot of pressure. So what if he doesn't do it?

"What if they lose to Oregon and Ohio State in the regular season and go 10-2 again? What if they get to the playoffs and lose again to either Oregon, Ohio State or anybody else that's a big-name school? What would happen to Franklin then after all those expectations if he comes up short? ... Nothing."

Shemon pulled no punches as he listed the hefty expectations for Franklin. The Nittany Lions are one of the biggest teams in the Big Ten, and anything other than a playoff appearance might be seen as a disappointment.

So, it'll be interesting to see how Franklin handles such high expectations in the 2025 campaign. The program has much to prove after losing to the Fighting Irish in the semifinals of the 2024 campaign.

What are James Franklin and Penn State's national championship odds?

According to Fox Sports, the Penn State Nittany Lions have +750 odds to win the 2025-26 national championship game. This places James Franklin's side as the team with the fourth-best odds to go all the way in January 2026.

Franklin's side will be able to call upon the expertise of star quarterback Drew Allar. He is one of the best shot callers in collegiate football, and he'll be running it back with the Nittany Lions for the 2025 campaign.

The three teams with better odds to win the next national championship are Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes (+500), Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns (+550) and Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs (+700). The Nittany Lions start their 2025 regular season with a home game against the Nevada Wolf Pack.