Former Penn State QB Demands More from Celebrated Coach Franklin

As of August 20th, 2025, Penn State football head coach James Franklin has firmly established the Nittany Lions as a national powerhouse. Last season, Franklin led the team to their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, where they advanced to the semifinal before falling to Notre Dame.

Despite this historic achievement, former Penn State quarterback and current NBC analyst Todd Blackledge believes Franklin still has more to prove. Blackledge acknowledges that Franklin has guided the program to the "upper echelon of college football" and compiled an impressive 101-42 record. However, he argues that Franklin needs to lead Penn State to victories over top opponents, even when they are not favored to win.

"He's got Penn State in the upper echelon of college football, and he's had a lot of wins," Blackledge said. "But there still is that thing out there of breaking through that ceiling of, not necessarily winning a national championship, but winning some games that either you are dead even going in or maybe expected to be a little bit the underdog."

With Penn State ranked No. 2 in the preseason Top 25, the pressure is on Franklin to build on last year's success. Anything less than another 8-1 conference record, with the lone loss coming against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, will be seen as a step back for the program.