by Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt remains optimistic about Penn State’s chances in the 2025 college football season. In his way-too-early Top 25 rankings, Klatt placed the Nittany Lions among the nation’s elite.
But despite the high expectations, Klatt issued a strong warning during a recent episode of his podcast. His concern? Head coach James Franklin’s continued struggles in high-stakes games.
“I like this team. I like this team a lot,” Klatt said. “Penn State takes care of business against teams they should beat. But they haven’t shown they can win the matchups where talent is equal or they’re slightly the underdog.”
Klatt emphasized that while Penn State dominates lesser opponents, they’ve failed to secure wins against top-tier competition—especially those ranked in the AP Top 10.
“Franklin is 4-20 against Top 10 teams,” Klatt noted. “That’s the glaring issue.”
He referenced past seasons, where Penn State handled teams like SMU and Boise State but faltered in bigger games like those against Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State.
“They’ve been close,” Klatt said. “But being close isn’t enough to win a national title.”
Despite the concerns, Klatt still believes in Penn State’s potential to make a serious run at a championship in 2025—if they can finally clear this last hurdle
