College football remains unpredictable, with players transferring and teams changing conferences frequently. Oregon made headlines by leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten and proving its worth by defeating teams like Ohio State and Wisconsin. Now, the same pressure is on James Franklin at Penn State. The pressure is on, as they haven’t won a national championship since 1986, and last year’s impressive 13-3 season has raised expectations even higher. Franklin has the talent and coaching staff, but time’s running out. As a failure this year would bring more than just criticism.

Well, this season is a do-or-die situation for James Franklin and the team, as it’s either a natty or just an empty promise. Just like Spencer McLaughlin highlights on the Locked on College Football podcast, saying, “When you look at the Big 10 landscape and say, Hey, I think Penn State should be the favorite. I think they should be the favorite in the Big 10. That’s how they should be viewed. They should have all the pressure, all the hype, all the discussion in the world, to say, Yeah, this is Penn State’s conference to lose. Because if they, if they’re not going to do it this year, I don’t know when the opportunity arises again.” That’s the price you have to pay when you perform well.

Last season, James Franklin’s team outshone its Big 10 opponents, such as Maryland, Illinois, and USC. That shows why there’s pressure to win this year. Now, what makes it more certain is their coaching staff. Bringing in Jim Knowles makes their standing much better in the Big 10. If you know Penn State has a history of struggling against Ohio State for years, in fact, the Bucks won 8 straight games in a series against them. And getting Knowles is a small revenge and a big move towards their win.

Then comes Penn State’s running back room. As this off-season, they have retained a lot of NFL-level talent like Dani. Dennis Sutton, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen. And how can we forget that Nick and Kaytron are the ones who rushed for 1000 yards last season? On the defensive side, players like Zane Durant, who’s a standout defensive tackle, and Fiesta Bowl’s defensive MVP Zakee Wheatley are also coming back. So, now, you can understand why it’s a killer deal for the team.

But now comes the tricky part. Their standing against the Big 10 might mean nothing after their loss against Notre Dame. As Spencer McLaughlin explains, “The downside for James Franklin is, I think after going to the semifinal last year and losing to Notre Dame, he could probably win the Big 10. And I don’t know how many people would care. I don’t know how many flowers he would really get.”

Penn State faces tough challenges, including games against Oregon and Ohio State, with the latter being an away game in Columbus. Despite the difficult schedule, they have a chance to prepare with an easier nonconference start and a bye week before facing Ohio State. Even Sports Illustrated Grok predicts their smooth run this season: “With Drew Allar back and a strong defense, Penn State builds on their 2024 CFP run. They’re a near-lock for 10+ wins, securing an at-large bid even if Ohio State takes the Big Ten.”

However, uncertainty surrounds quarterback Allar’s performance – will he be able to lead the team to success?

James Franklin’s showing confidence in Drew Allar’s gameplay

Is starting with Drew Aller a smart move for James Franklin and the team? Look, we all know what happened against Notre Dame, where Allar threw a brutal pick that shattered Penn State’s championship hopes. Instead of putting all the blame on him, Franklin stood up to his guy and backed him up.

Now, when James Franklin joined J.D. PicKell on April 8th, he didn’t flinch when Allar became the topic of conversation. Franklin didn’t mince words when PicKell was talking about their new wideout, Kyron Hudson, and asked about what got him so hyped up on Allar’s 2025 season. Man, Franklin didn’t hesitate for a moment before saying, “Yeah, you know, he’s just—he’s improved every single year,” Franklin said. “You know, his high school recruiting process was kind of amazing… by the time it’s all done, have him ranked as the number one quarterback in the country. He’s done the same thing since he’s been on campus.” 

And then he did what he does best. James Franklin made it clear that Allar earned his place, not because he was his favorite or something. “He’s gotten better every single year in terms of touchdown-to-interception ratio, yards, explosive plays, and completion percentage — obviously playing really well in big games.” He further adds to it, saying, “He’s totally committed to being the best player he possibly can be. And he’s a great human being.”

It’s true that Drew Allar struggled against Notre Dame, but it’s surprising to overlook his successful 13-win season. Allar started the postseason as a standout QB, boasting a 71.6% completion rate (5th nationally) and a 167.5 passer rating (7th), carrying over his confidence from the regular season. But things took a turn for the worse during the playoffs. In the four playoff games, his completion rate never reached 60%, and he failed to surpass 171 passing yards against SMU, Boise State, and Notre Dame. The lowest point was a 92.8 passer rating against Notre Dame in the most crucial game of the season. It was a significant decline in performance.

But was it all on him? Let’s not forget that Allar didn’t receive much support from his teammates. On passes ranging from 1 to 14 yards, he completed only 8 out of 18 attempts. On third downs, he managed just 1 completion out of 4 for a mere 2 yards, while the offense struggled with a 3-for-11 conversion rate overall.

Allar may have inconsistencies, but his teammates let him down with poor performance. Let’s wait and see how this season turns out for them.