Ad Disclosure
James Franklin on Penn State hype: ‘Who really cares about preseason rankings?’
By Andrew Olson
Published:
James Franklin appears to be aware that Penn State was named the favorite to finish first in the Big Ten by conference media members. But the Nittany Lion coach brushed off the significance of preseason polls.
There’s a lot of hype surrounding the Nittany Lions this year. After making the College Football Playoff last year, PSU is considered a national championship contender again in 2025.
During Wednesday’s Big Ten Media Days, Franklin was asked if Penn State feels any pressure for this year to be a championship season. After talking about embracing the pressure, he made a reference to preseason polls.
“It’s a great conversation, but who really cares about preseason rankings? They mean nothing,” Franklin said in his podium pressure. “It’s a good argument to have and everybody has fun with it, but the only rankings that matter are the ones that happen at the end of the season, and that’s what we’re concerned about. The only way we’ll do that is by handling our business today.”
On the other hand, it certainly does not hurt to start the year with a high ranking. The initial CFP committee rankings are often similar to that week’s AP Top 25.
The AP and Coaches Poll have yet to release preseason top 25 rankings.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.