CFB analyst gives harsh reality check to James Franklin before Penn State's 2025 season

James Franklin and Penn State got a lot of haters who don't value their credibility in the Big Ten despite having a spectacular campaign last year. They went 13-3 in 2024 and punched College Football Playoff tickets, but for critics, this was not sufficient. The only thing haters liked to view was Penn State's failures against Big Ten giants like Oregon and Ohio State.

Even in the playoffs, they recorded a big win against SMU, but when it was time to face Notre Dame, the Nittany Lions went down 27-24 in a close-knit game. CFB insider Josh Pate endorses this scenario and urges Franklin to prove his worth this upcoming season.

On his weekly podcast on Thursday, Pate shared a closer look at Penn State's campaign last year. The overall record on paper looks promising but when it comes to facing strong opponents, the team struggles to convert in such games.

“You made the playoffs," Pate said (Timestamp: 2:44). "And yeah, you won a couple of games. Who'd you beat? You beat Boise and SMU. You absolutely should beat them. And then you got paired against an equal competitor in Notre Dame, and you lost.

“So you didn't do anything last year that you have been criticized for not being able to do before. That's what a hater would say. There is a merit to it. By the way, I don't necessarily even disagree.

"So this is the year, more so than any year in recent history that I can recall, that Penn State should be geared up to silence, that forget about doubters. Just prove it to yourself. It is a failure if they're not competing for a national championship this year.”

James Franklin will have two big matchups in 2025 before they eye national championship

The Big Ten is highly competitive. The regular season sometimes proves far more challenging than the postseason matchups. Like every other year, Franklin & Co. will match up against the mighty Oregon at home and Ryan Day's Ohio State on the road this upcoming season.

It is crucial for the team to win both these games in order to boost their self-morale and shut the haters up once and for all. It won't be an easy task to accomplish since Oregon and Ohio State have undergone a massive revamp.

Both teams have enough weapons to contest against a higher-rated offense and defense. Expect nothing less than a 10+ winning game season from Franklin and the team this year.