Paul Finebaum identifies Penn State as the college football team under the most pressure in 2025

Penn State comes into this season as one of the top contenders both in the Big Ten and for the College Football Playoff. It’s those circumstances, though, that have them under a lot of pressure, including for Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum, giving several takes on this upcoming season in appearances on ‘Get Up’ on Thursday and Friday, named the Nittany Lions as the team under the most pressure this fall. That’s as he again noted the history of the program against big opponents, in big games, and at big spots under James Franklin.

“I believe it’s Penn State because of this reason. They may very well be favored to win the Big Ten and James Franklin does not handle pressure well. He had a 10-point lead against Ohio State last year. Blew it. He had a 10-point lead against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Blew it. And that’s why he gets in trouble with his fanbase,” Finebaum said. “His record is exemplary, but he can’t seem to handle the pressure and he has it now.”

Again, we’re all well aware of those specific shortcomings for Penn State over their eleven seasons under Franklin. While being 101-42 (.706) going into his 12th year in University Park, the Nittany Lions are 16-29 (.356) against ranked opponents, including 4-17 (.191) against the top two brands in the conference over that time in Ohio State and Michigan. That trend even applied last season despite having an all-time record at 13-3 as they handled essentially everyone from August through January, except in a top five matchup against Ohio State, versus Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, and then losing to Notre Dame in their semifinal in the College Football Playoff.

However, this very well could be the season for Penn State. That statement might be only adding more pressure, leading to another letdown again. Still, the Nittany Lions are coming off that school record of 13 wins while making it to the Big Ten Championship and their debut appearance in the CFP.

Penn State then, on offense, returns players in the backfield with QB Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen to pair with one of the better offensive lines in the country and an attempt at improving their targets in the pass game. Then, on defense, the Nittany Lions bring back several starters that will now be led by one of the sport’s best defensive coordinators with their hire of Jim Knowles. With all that, Penn State fully expects to be in conference as well as national title contention in 2025.

The Nittany Lions are going to be among the favorites for this season, with kickoff being 50 days away. It’s just going to be a matter of whether they can continue to defy what has cost them in years past in trying to win it all this year, hence the pressure placed on them again this morning by Finebaum.

McElroy believes James Franklin has the most pressure among college football coaches in 2025

A college football coach doesn’t have to be on the hot seat to be under immense pressure. During an appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Thursday, ESPN’s Greg McElroy explained why he believes James Franklin is under more pressure this fall than any other coach in college football.

“I’m going James Franklin,” McElroy said. “This is the first year where you can go into the season and say Penn State has, arguably, a superior roster to that of Michigan and Ohio State. We’ve always kind of looked at James Franklin and knocked him because he can’t win the big one, but he’s never had the same tools that the teams he was trying to beat had, so this is the first time that he actually has the advantage. If he were to lose those games to his rivals there in the Big Ten, that would be a reflection on him. So, I think this is the year he has to get over the hump. This is the year he has to beat the Michigans, the Ohio States, the Oregons and capture that elusive Big Ten title for the first time in nearly a decade.”

“I so desperately want to think, ‘Greg, what are you talking about? How can you put heat on James Franklin? But I was the one who put all the heat on James Franklin after he blew the Orange Bowl, which Greg’s pretty familiar with, having done that game. So I am struggling here because James Franklin has so underperformed, but now I have a legitimate person to hug as I criticize James Franklin and that is Greg McElroy,” Finebaum said on the panel. “Greg, thank you for making my summer.”