Pressure On James Franklin, Penn State Following Preseason Coaches' Poll Ranking

The Penn State Nittany Lions are entering a critical year, particularly for head coach James Franklin. This is Franklin's 12th season with the team, and Penn State finds itself ranked third in the USA TODAY Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest ranking in over 25 years. Franklin hasn't had a Top 5 preseason ranking in any of his first 11 seasons, so this marks unfamiliar territory. 

Texas, the top-ranked team, received 28 first-place votes. Big Ten rival Ohio State is second after receiving 20 first-place votes. Penn State, which had 14 first-place votes, is the only other team that had more than three votes for the top spot in the country. 

That puts a lot of pressure on Franklin, who has had success as the Nittany Lions' head coach, but is often believed to have underachieved during his tenure (particularly by Penn State fans and alumni, like yours truly). While the Nittany Lions are frequently among the nation's best teams, they've consistently lost to good teams during Franklin's time on the sideline. 

The Penn State Nittany Lions are ranked third in the College Football Preseason Coaches' Poll, the highest preseason ranking under 12th-year head coach James Franklin.

(Dan Rainville/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Franklin is an excellent recruiter, but seems to lack the ability to coach a team on gameday, often making terrible decisions that leave fans scratching their heads. The problem for Penn State is that expectations are generally high, and with Ohio State and Michigan both having won the past two National Championships, they are falling behind in the Big Ten arms race. Sure, Jim Harbaugh may have cheated his way to a National Championship (allegedly) and then bolted to the NFL, but he delivered a title. 

Franklin reached the College Football Playoff for the first time last season, and the Lions drew an incredibly easy route to the semifinals, dispatching SMU and Boise State before narrowly losing to Notre Dame. This year, they return quarterback Drew Allar, widely considered a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Plus, both star running backs – Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen – are back as well. 

Add it all up, and the Lions are in the best position to make a run since the mid-to-late 1990s. If Franklin can't lead this squad to a deep run in the College Football Playoff, he probably won't ever get it done. While rumors have swirled about Franklin considering leaving Penn State for USC, there really haven't been any whispers about Penn State trying to upgrade at head coach. Of course, that's probably because the school signed him to a contract that runs through 2031. 

Still, this is a big season for Franklin and Penn State. The school has to consider alternatives if Franklin fails to lead the team to a successful season. The question is, what constitutes a successful season? Given the recent dominance of Michigan and Ohio State, it has to be championship-or-bust. Is Franklin capable of coaching a team to a National Championship? That's a question he's going to have to answer in 2025.