James Franklin Lets Loose on Expectations

James Franklin Lets Loose on Expectations originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions are heading into the 2025 season with a loaded roster, veteran leadership and plenty of hype. With that talent comes major expectations, pressure from fans and media, and talk of a national title run. Franklin isn't shying away from addressing it.

The head coach knows the pressures that come with leading an elite program, especially in Happy Valley as part of the Big Ten. As preseason camp gets underway, Franklin met with the media during Big Ten Media Day and didn’t sugarcoat his message about the national title buzz.

“A lot of people worked really hard to put ourselves in this position,” Franklin said.

Then came the real message from Franklin.

“No one gives a [expletive] about preseason rankings.”

The Nittany Lions won their first seven games of the 2024 season. Their only regular season loss came on Nov. 2 in a 20-13 home defeat to Ohio State. Penn State bounced back with four straight wins to earn a spot in the Big Ten title game.

There, Franklin's squad came up short in a 45-37 shootout against Oregon in Indianapolis. Despite the loss, their full-season résumé was strong enough to earn a College Football Playoff berth.

Penn State made the most of the opportunity, blowing out SMU 38-10 in their first playoff game, then defeating Boise State 31-14 in Glendale, Arizona.

In the CFP semifinal, the Nittany Lions lost to Notre Dame 27-24 on a late field goal. Franklin noted they were one drive away from reaching the final.

Looking ahead to this season, ESPN's College Football Power Index ranked Penn State fifth behind Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were given a 7% chance to win out and claim the College Football Playoff title.

Franklin returns a solid core from last year’s team. Quarterback Drew Allar leads the group, entering his fourth season with 29 career starts. In 2024, he threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns. Running back Nicholas Singleton is also back for his senior season, having scored 32 rushing touchdowns and eight receiving TDs across his first three seasons.

Penn State’s projected starting receivers are all transfers. Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Pena are expected to make up the starting trio and bring new energy to the offense.

The Nittany Lions open the 2025 season at home on Aug. 30 against Nevada.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.