James Franklin is turning Penn State Nittany Lions into a Dallas Cowboys, and not financially, according to a CBS analyst. And if you’re being compared to the Cowboys for your performances, it’s time to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Penn State’s No. 2 ranking in the AP poll signals one thing: the Nittany Lions are being viewed as legitimate national championship contenders. But for James Franklin, entering his 11th season in State College, there’s still a lot to prove.
Franklin’s tenure has produced plenty of wins but only one Big Ten championship to show for it, back in 2016. The playoff expansion a year ago finally gave him a chance to push Penn State into the CFP, but the semifinal loss to Notre Dame reopened familiar wounds. The numbers don’t lie: Franklin is 1-9 against Ohio State, the one win dating back to that 2016 season. And as CBS Sports’ Damien Harris put it, the storylines haven’t changed. “At what point do we get tired of just coming up short?” Harris said. “Every single year, it’s the same story with James Franklin. You beat the teams you’re supposed to, but once you face Ohio State, once you get to the playoffs, once you finally get that test … every time they come up short.”
The haunting truth for Penn State fans is that the Lions have become the College version of the Cowboys. High expectations, huge following, amazing talent—and still no confetti moments. “It’s the name, it’s the brand — you get right there and then you just don’t have the results to show for it,” Harris said. “James Franklin, if you don’t get it done this year, then I am going to start the fire James Franklin train immediately.” Those are loaded words for a coach who has gone 101-42, piled up double-digit wins in five of the last seven full seasons, and recruited with the best of them. But like the Cowboys, success is measured by trophies, not just box scores.
The reason the pressure feels different this year is because the roster is, quite frankly, loaded. Returning vet Drew Allar has matured into one of the most talented QBs in the Big Ten. The offensive line, long a weakness in Franklin’s early years, is now anchored by veteran leadership. On defense, Manny Diaz’s exit was covered by perhaps the boldest offseason move of Franklin’s career—luring Jim Knowles away from OSU. Add to that Year 2 of Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive system, imported from Kansas, and there’s a sense Penn State is finally aligning its schemes with its talent. Still, the stat that bites the hardest: under James Franklin, Penn State is 1-15 all-time against AP Top 5 opponents. That number hangs over Happy Valley like a storm cloud.
“James Franklin if you don’t get it done this year, then I am going to start the fire James Franklin train immediately.”@DHx34 says it’s National Championship or bust for James Franklin and Penn State this season. pic.twitter.com/nVQbIScZwb
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) August 18, 2025
James Franklin and his staff dipped into the portal just enough to plug holes. Only 8 transfers arrived, but each filled a glaring need. Trebor Pena and Devonte Ross were brought in to strengthen a wide receiver room that has often been criticized for lacking explosiveness. LB Amare Campbell brings versatility to a defense already stacked with speed. This wasn’t quantity—it was quality. And in a league where Michigan and Ohio State have mastered the art of blending veteran cores with blue-chip transfers, Franklin had no choice but to follow that blueprint.
None of those moves will matter if James Franklin can’t win the games that define his era. He’s kept Penn State relevant in the toughest conference in America, but relevance only gets you so far. Fans don’t remember who finished second in the Big Ten East. They remember who beat Michigan in November, who knocked off Ohio State in Columbus, and who lifted the trophy in January. That’s where Franklin has fallen short. Harris’s ultimatum stings because it echoes the fan base’s deepest fear: that Penn State is stuck in a cycle of almost.
And so here’s the challenge laid bare. Franklin has the roster. He has the staff. He has the support of a program that has been waiting since 1986 to be crowned as national champions.
James Franklin has the horses to finally break through
This isn’t smoke and mirrors. It starts at quarterback, where Allar returns for another season with the keys firmly in his hands. That single decision gives the offense something most programs spend years chasing—stability and leadership at the most important position.
Allar won’t have to do it alone, either. He’s surrounded by weapons that can tilt games. Penn State still boasts one of the best backfield duos in college football in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Those two can grind defenses down for four quarters or break a game wide open with one cut. That kind of reliability is rare, and it forces defenses to pick their poison—stack the box and risk Allar carving you up, or sit back and watch the ground game control the tempo.
The passing game should also take a step forward. With a blend of returning targets and transfer additions like Pena and Ross, Allar has the tools to stretch the field. Combine that with Kotelnicki’s second year calling plays, and there’s room for real growth. Defensively, the Nittany Lions might finally have the missing piece. Luring Knowles away from Ohio State was a bold move, but it signals intent. This was already one of the Big Ten’s toughest units—add Knowles’ schematic discipline to a defensive line stacked with depth and a secondary built on speed, and suddenly Penn State looks like a team equipped to survive and thrive against high-powered playoff opponents.
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