Penn State is going to be a force to be reckoned with this season. The Nittany Lions, under James Franklin, are an easy national championship contender. This year, they truly look poised to have a shot at the title. However strong Franklin’s team may look, he does have one recurring problem that he hasn’t been able to solve in the past couple of seasons. This nagging issue will be a hurdle for Franklin’s 2025 campaign, too. This problem happens to be rival Natty winners themselves.
Penn State’s offense looks excellent, with Drew Allar set to lead the team. And with a defense shaped by Jim Knowles, James Franklin should be beyond happy with the way his team looks. But this is also a very new team. Franklin had to rebuild the defense because of player losses and will be setting foot on Happy Valley with a team that looks guaranteed for a playoff spot at the very least. However, Franklin also won’t forget his familiar foe, Ryan Day, against whom he has lost a whopping 10 times.
Mark Leslo said in a May 30 video on his channel, “Historically, Franklin, he’s beaten him, beaten Ohio State one time. He’s beaten Michigan, I don’t know how many times, but his record against them is horrible.” The only win in these 11 games came in 2016 when the Nittany Lions won 24-21. And after that, 7 straight losses against the Buckeyes. Surprisingly, Franklin has managed to keep from falling out of the top 20 ranks since then. And yet, OSU tends to hold the upper hand here, ranking in the top 10 teams until now.
November 2, 2024, University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S: Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith 4 cuts back on a run after catching a pass during the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania. University Park U.S – ZUMAs304 20241102_zaf_s304_002 Copyright: xScottxStuartx
Against Michigan, Franklin has a 3-7 record. And it’s not a very good stat. Jim Harbaugh was brought to Michigan a year after Franklin took charge of things at Ann Arbor. And yet, it was Harbaugh who won the National Championship—fair and square, of course—and also beat Penn State just as vehemently as Ohio State did. Franklin, in his 11 years as the Nittany Lions’ is yet to see a National Championship win come his way. What is the ongoing problem that prevents Franklin from having the last laugh with these two teams? His star QB1, Drew Allar, however, received a unique verdict about his future.
Drew Allar’s expectations soar ahead of his job for James Franklin’s 2025
Allar stunned the critics when he produced 2,631 yards, 25 TDs, and just 2 interceptions in the 2023 season. With a new OC in 2024. Allar still continued to shine. Those interceptions have to be worked out, having risen to 8. For now, Allar is expected to bow out of the 2026 draft. In this case, Pro Football Focus shared PFSN’s analyses and hinted that the New Orleans Saints might be very interested in him.
If that happens, Allar will be sitting behind Tyler Shough, who himself will be observing Derek Carr. With the veteran player announcing his retirement, Shough can make an appearance on the field sooner than expected. But Pro Football Focus also writes that Shough still doesn’t seem like the kind of QB to display fireworks on the field. In that case, if the Saints have Drew Allar in the room. It’d be such a great relief.
Allar still has room for development, especially needing work to improve his mobility and footwork. But the physical attributes tell a different story, and they could be a key reason why he gets drafted high. Should Tyler Shough be a bust for the team, the staff can then just simply gravitate toward the QB and ask him to take over. But even with a Drew Allar-led offense, James Franklin first has to end his streak against Ohio State and Michigan. Those two games will be the highlight of it all.
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