There’s a charge in the air as summer fades away and college football season is just around the corner. Each year, as the calendar turns nearer to kickoff, the sports media’s biggest names begin spewing out their crystal-ball prognostications. Everyone has something to say. Georgia? Or last year’s repeat? Ohio State? But this year, the dice appear to be rolling on Pennsylvania fields. Among all the X fights and talking heads, there is one dude fans and analysts themselves respect: Phil Steele.
And this year, Phil Steele shook things up with Penn State as his national champion. That pick sends a shock wave throughout Big Ten nation. This has been one wild ride under James Franklin. After another year finishing 13-3, the Nittany Lions flashed brilliance. Franklin’s been able to put together what may be his strongest roster to date. The defense, particularly with the addition of Jim Knowles, appears to be a wall—quick, aggressive, and full of NFL-caliber talent. And Phil Steele does go through it with utmost optimism.
“I don’t know if Jim Knowles is necessarily going to bring a lot to the defense,” Steele said in the Mic drop with Mike Asti podcast. “I mean, they had a great defense last year. The key for him is to keep it a great defense, and I think he’s got the talent to do so.”
Penn State’s defense a year ago was already business. They ended up top-10 nationally in scoring and total defense, stifling opponents for a mere 16.5 points and fewer than 295 yards per game while rolling out NFL-quality talent such as Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Jim Knowles’ acquisition from the Buckeyes was merely a ‘do the same business here.’ And then there’s Tony Rojas in the linebacking corps, “one of the best in the country,” as well as A.J. Harris, the finest corner.
This is a defense designed to suffocate the Big Ten’s and the playoff’s highest-flying offenses. Now, you know Penn State fans; they’re sick of finishing third-best in the Big Ten. “This team seems to remind me a lot of Michigan and Ohio State the last two years,” Steele continues. “A lot of players turned down the NFL. Veterans, senior laden group. Your seniors, the majority of them are guys that were recruited by James Franklin, have been there. There’s a good team atmosphere. Yes, they’ve hit the portal for some players, but the bulk of this team is Penn State bred.” Penn State truly is cut from the same veteran-laden fabric as those recent Michigan and Ohio State playoff teams.
Franklin did something unique this offseason: he held the band together. Several upperclassmen. Think about stars such as Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Zane Durant. They had their draft buzz but chose to “run it back” for one more attempt at a title. Four of the five best returning players, by most analyses, arrived as part of Franklin’s stacked 2022 class. And then Franklin has stacked top-20 recruiting classes nearly every year, focusing on strong Pennsylvania ties and pipeline relationships. 124 of his 251 signees have come from within a 250-mile radius of State College. Even with the transfer portal swirling, the bulk of this year’s starters grew up “in the program.” The locker room vibe is less “mercenary” and more “we’ve built this together.”
Steele adds, “I think this is the year they break through. I’ve been doing the magazine for 31 years. First year I’m picking Penn State to win it all.” But yes, the road runs through Columbus, and Ohio State has been the personal bogeyman. Last year, their undefeated season dream got away in a close 20-13 defeat at the hands of the Buckeyes. They broke through to the playoffs and defeated two quality opponents on the grand stage, showing they could be part of the national discussion. But Phil indicates that the Nittany Lions have taken the Buckeyes to the wire for decades; it’s “very close to breaking through,” and unlike in previous years, he thinks this is the year they will get the job done.
The elephant in the room for James Franklin
Penn State’s habit of stumbling in the most important, high-pressure games is one of the major problems James Franklin needs to work on. And this is still the central concern for Franklin. But not only for him, for his $85 million contract, and a Nittany Lions roster considered by Urban Meyer “one of the greatest in the nation.” His teams rack up double-digit wins, make the New Year’s Six, and now, at last, reach the playoff semifinals. But come those “must-win” showdowns against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, or a playoff-caliber Oregon, something always goes sideways.
Franklin’s record in true big games (top-10 matchups, Big Ten titles, playoff semis) is a modest 4-20, with quarterback Drew Allar also dragging a 2-5 mark in games against top-ten opponents. Last year’s semifinal loss to Notre Dame stung. Another epic shot ended with a gutting turnover and unfulfilled potential. It’s not for lack of investment or support. Penn State AD Patrick Kraft is leading an arms race. He is openly embracing NIL and revenue sharing, pouring resources into roster and staff retention, and, for all the outside talk, backing Franklin in ways that make his job one of the most stable in the sport.
So what’s left on Franklin’s “to-do” list? No one is booing nine-win seasons, and a deep playoff run would again thrill the fan base. But Penn State’s millions of fans, and crucially its critics, want to see Franklin knock off the heavyweights when it matters most. Allar is back for his final shot before the NFL, the offensive line stacks up, and the running game thunders. What the team needs is composure and execution in those defining moments. The ability for Penn State’s stars to rise under the playoff lights and silence the ghosts of play-calling gaffes.
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