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Penn State head coach James Franklin is entering his 12th season at the helm of the Nittany Lions, and he does so with one of the best overall rosters he has had to work with. That has put Franklin in the spotlight brighter than ever before as he looks to take the next step toward being an elite head coach of an elite college football program. Penn State will start the year with national title-contending expectations after a deep run to the College Football Playoff semifinal, and this is a year where many believe Franklin could be on the verge of silencing critics once and for all.
So, how does he look as a Big Ten coach of the year candidate? Pretty good, one would think. Here are our picks for the Big Ten’s coach of the year for the 2025 season.
Andrew Deal: James Franklin, Penn State
James Franklin finally gets over the “big game” hump this year. Based on my other predictions, Franklin has to be the coach of the year. A pretty favorable schedule has Oregon traveling to Happy Valley for the White Out game. However, the Nittany Lions have to travel to Columbus for a battle with the Buckeyes.
Penn State returns a ton of impact players from last season, while Ohio State will have to fill holes in some key positions. If Penn State goes 11-1 or 12-0, Franklin will have every right to win the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Sam Woloson:James Franklin, Penn State
This is an interesting one, because the Coach of the Year award has recently gone to the best story, not the best coach overall. Curt Cignetti and David Braun led Indiana and Northwestern to surprise seasons in 2024 and 2023, respectively, but neither team nor coach were the best in the conference. If you wanna go off of the best story, I think James Franklin exorcising his big game demons and winning a conference title could fit the bill, especially if he beats Ohio…
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Publish date : 2025-08-21 10:05:00
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