Paul Finebaum. © Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Calls Out Big-Name College Football Coach for Falling Short of Expectations

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The 2024 college football season marked the inaugural year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. While several games were decided by double-digit margins, there were also some highly competitive matchups.

One notable contest was between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the semifinals. Notre Dame emerged victorious with a field goal in the final moments, winning 27-24. Despite this loss, optimism remains among Penn State fans that 2025 could mark the end of the team’s nearly 40-year national championship drought.

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) ranks Penn State as the No. 5 team in the country, giving them a 7% chance to win the national championship, which ranks fifth-best overall. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," an SEC Network analyst expressed enthusiasm for the Nittany Lions but also voiced concerns regarding head coach James Franklin.

"I think they're a legitimate contender," Finebaum said. "I'll spare you the James Franklin because he's a good coach, he just has been put in some incredibly awkward moments. I think he's made very little out of his opportunities, including last year, where he had the better team against Notre Dame."

Paul Finebaum believes that this year will be different for Penn State due to the experience they have at quarterback and throughout the entire team. He argues that this experience gives the Nittany Lions a legitimate chance to claim the national championship.

To support Finebaum's point, Penn State returns many key players, including quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, and defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Overall, the team returns 63% of its production, ranking 33rd in the nation.

Last season, Allar threw for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions, achieving a completion rate of 66.5%. This was his best season as a starter. Additionally, Allen and Singleton both rushed for over 1,000 yards, combining for a total of 20 rushing touchdowns.

While most of Penn State's returning talent is on offense, retaining 72% of its offensive output, which ranks 14th nationally, the team will need to overcome the loss of defensive standout Abdul Carter. Carter recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss last season and was selected as the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Nittany Lions will kick off the season against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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