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Paul Finebaum says James Franklin is ‘incapable’ of winning a National Championship
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While Penn State may be the preseason No. 1 team in the country when the AP Top 25 is revealed later this summer, Paul Finebaum isn’t a believer in the Nittany Lions.
Finebaum was asked about Penn State’s title chances earlier this week during a segment on ‘Get Up.’
“On Jan. 20, if I’m sitting here eating my words, I will be the most shocked person on the face of the earth,” Finebaum said. “James Franklin and Penn State will not win the National Championship. It has nothing to do with the team. They’re excellent, they’re fantastic. It’s the best team he’s had.
“But they still have the same problem they’ve had since James Franklin arrived from Vanderbilt — they have James Franklin as the head coach. And while he is a very good coach, his record speaks for itself, he is incapable of winning that last game. We saw it last year when he blew a 10-point lead against Ohio State. He blew a 10-point lead against Notre Dame.”
Despite doubters like Finebaum, Penn State is one of the favorites to win it all this upcoming season. At FanDuel, the Nittany Lions are +750 to win it all. That’s the fourth-best odds overall, trailing only Texas, Ohio State and Georgia.
Penn State will open the 2025 season with Nevada on Aug. 30.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.