Paul Finebaum Offers Bleak National Title Outlook For Historic College Football Program

"I like Penn State, not to win it, but Penn State will have a hard time not getting to the final four," Finebaum said.

Paul Finebaum Lacks Faith in James Franklin

Finebaum's lack of faith in the Nittany Lions stems from his lack of confidence in head coach James Franklin. He has a record of 101-42 in 11 seasons at Penn State; however, Finebaum does not believe he can win the big game.

“I’m not going to waste your time, because you were at the games he blew last year, but that’s why I can’t wrap my arms around them,” Finebaum previously said. “On paper, yes, but he’s had good teams on paper before and managed to choke them away.”

Franklin has faced challenges in high-stakes games throughout his coaching career for the Nittany Lions. He is 6-6 in bowl games and has a 1-1 record in Big Ten title games. He is 16-28 against teams ranked in the top 25, which includes a 4-20 record against top 10 teams.

His performance against teams ranked in the AP top five is even worse, with a record of 1-15. Additionally, he has yet to win against teams ranked in the top five of the College Football Playoff rankings, holding an 0-6 record in those matchups.

Last season, Penn State had a 3-3 record against ranked opponents. Two of those victories were achieved in the College Football Playoff against the SMU Mustangs and the Boise State Broncos. This season, Franklin and the Nittany Lions are set to face three top-25 opponents based on the preseason rankings: the No. 7 Oregon Ducks, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 20 Indiana Hoosiers.

ESPN's Football Power Index Is High on Penn State

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) ranks Penn State as the No. 5 team in the nation, giving it a 9% chance to win the national championship, the fifth-best chance overall. Much of the optimism surrounding the Nittany Lions this season is based on the talent they are bringing back.

Penn State returns several key players this season, including quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, as well as defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Overall, the team retains 63% of its production, which ranks 33rd in the nation.

The Nittany Lions will begin their pursuit to end a nearly four-decade championship drought against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.