No team is enjoying the hype as much as Penn State ahead of the preseason. James Franklin is back for a shot at the National Championship Game, for the 11 time as PSU HC. He has a team that looks well-rounded on both sides of the ball. And, it is easily one of the most primed in college football to book a playoff spot. And within PSU’s storyline this year is another big one–Drew Allar. The elite 5-star QB returns as a leader to go on the watchout list. However, he has to brave one old foe to go down as one of the best Penn State QBs.

Franklin is not just returning with players; he’s returning with battle-tested men. An overwhelming majority of his players are experienced guys on the field. Chief among them is Drew Allar, who will start as PSU’s quarterback for the 3 time. He was ranked the No. 1 QB in the Big 10 by The Sporting News, which shows the impact his return has on the program. Now, Allar wasn’t perfect last season. But they are things that can be remedied through practice. But when it comes to strategizing in high-stakes atmospheres, Allar has a worrying record. This is also part of Franklin’s coaching record as well.

In a July 8 episode of ESPN‘s SVPod, Scott Van Pelt points out a troubling flaw of Drew Allar and Penn State. He recalled a conversation he had with a PSU fan and asked him, “How’s Allar done in the biggest games?” The man had no answer. “I just find it interesting how the rep that he arrived with, that he’s going to be the guy, because he’s going to be different than the guy we didn’t like, because he couldn’t win the big game. He hasn’t done it yet, or hadn’t won the biggest game,” Van Pelt continued. After the Notre Dame loss, which is known for Allar’s game-ending interception, James Franklin’s record against the Top 10 opponents stands at 4-20. For Allar, that record stands at 2-5.

“How he does this year will be a gigantic talking point before the season begins, and then once they start playing. Because they’re loaded and should absolutely be expected to be a playoff team. But he’s going to need to be the guy at some point, to be the reason they win a big game… At some point it’s time for him to be the guy that leads him down the field on a drive, throws a touchdown pass or whatever, and then absolutely realizes the sort of vision that everyone had when he came in for why he was going to be different than his predecessor,” Van Pelt added. For his predecessor, Sean Clifford, that record stood at 1-7.

Allar, without a doubt, is one of James Franklin’s most important cogwheels that would affect the entirety of his 2025 campaign. This is his last appearance in college football, and he needs to chip away at his remaining flaws before the draft. Penn State’s biggest competitions this year will be against Oregon and the National Championship title defenders, Ohio State. It’s high time that Franklin breaks the curse this season.

Drew Allar and James Franklin’s common problem is once again under fire

Losing to the big guns repeatedly is a nagging hump that James Franklin can’t seem to get over. Year after year, Franklin has come with teams that looked like they were unstoppable. But in the games that needed the most fireworks, Penn State sputtered. “[The] doubters would say, ‘They can’t win big games, They can’t get over the hump,’ ‘They’re just good, but they’ll never be great,’” Josh Pate said in a June 23 episode of his show. Those comments are going to hurt more if the record continues with a team as elite as this season’s.

James Franklin has a commendable record of 101-42 as Penn State’s HC. But those wins are seldom against marquee football teams. Franklin’s losses to OSU and Michigan were once again grounds for criticism. “You got two shots against the big boys, you lost. Yeah, you made the playoffs, and yeah, you won a couple of games. Who’d you beat? You beat Boise and SMU; you absolutely should beat them. And then you got paired against an equal competitor in Notre Dame, and you lost.” Coincidentally, Allar proved costly in the Oregon loss, just like the Notre Dame game.

None of this hype would be validated if Franklin and Allar fall prey to the big ones once again. Van Pelt was hopeful that before the season, PSU would be ranked the No. 1 team. For a squad of this stature, Allar and Franklin cannot afford for this disappointing trend to continue. Will the duo have the last laugh by defeating OSU and Oregon this year?