"They're under pressure to win at Ohio State": CFB insider makes blunt remarks about James Franklin & team's 2025 season

Penn State's fumbles against ranked P4 teams were on full display when they played the Oregon Ducks at home in the whiteout game of the season in Week 5. Despite having the home field advantage and a massive crowd of over 110000+ fans, Penn State failed to mount pressure on Dan Lanning and team and eventually lost 30-24 to Oregon. The narrative of losing against top teams continues to haunt Franklin.

As per college football insider Heather Dinich, it is essential for the Nittany Lions to secure a win against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 9. Even if Franklin manages to record a 10-2 season, it would be difficult to make the 12-team playoff field, especially impressing the playoff committee.

According to Dinich, there will be a lot of teams with a similar record this season and given Penn State's poor statistics against ranked opponents, it will put their chances in jeopardy.

“They're under pressure to win at Ohio State, which as we all know is very difficult for Penn State. Here's why. If they don't beat Ohio State and they beat Indiana and they're sitting there at 10 and 2, that win against the Hoosiers, a very good Indiana team, is going to be the best thing they have to impress the selection committee,” Dinich said via ESPN on Tuesday.

NCAA Football: Oregon at Penn State - Source: Imagn

“I think there are going to be a lot of really good 10 and 2 teams this year in consideration for the selection committee. And I'm not convinced that that record for Penn State would be good enough, but you beat Ohio State and the narrative changes really fast,” she added.

Penn State has a challenging schedule ahead in 2025

After five games, the Nittany Lions are 4-1 with a loss to Oregon at home. In the coming weekend, Franklin and team will face UCLA on the road. Northwestern, Iowa, Ohio State Indiana and Michigan State are other opponents for Penn State in consecutive weeks. They will wrap up 2025 with a game against Rutgers.

In order to find a playoff spot, at least 11 wins would be essential since the Big Ten is highly competitive in terms of postseason games. If Franklin manages to win against Ohio State, it will forever shut down the criticisms.