James Franklin at Big Ten media days: Top 5 questions Penn State HC must answer

James Franklin will have his session at the Big Ten media days on Wednesday. The coach is entering his 12th season at Penn State and will be in Las Vegas to answer questions from media members.

The 2025 season is expected to be crucial for the Nittany Lions and many are anticipating hearing Franklin speak at the event. Here's a look at five questions the coach should be asked at the Big Ten media days.

Five questions for James Franklin at the Big Ten media days

#1. Penn State national championship chances

Penn State appeared in the College Football Playoff for the first time last season and made it all the way to the semifinals. Heading into the 2024 season, the Nittany Lions are considered one of the favorites for the title.

Many will be anticipating knowing what James Franklin's personal assessments of the team's chances of claiming the ultimate goal next season are. Also, what are the feelings like within the team amid the national championship hype?

#2. What the returning starters offer to the team

Penn State has a notable number of starters on both sides of the field. The Nittany Lions have Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen returning on offense while Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant are back on defense.

It will be crucial to ask Franklin what he thinks the returning starter brings to the team differently this time, and how he plans to take advantage of them in the upcoming season.

#3. What he learned from the playoffs last season

Aside from appearing in the playoffs last season, Penn State also competed for the Big Ten championship, where it lost to Oregon. It was obviously a season where the Nittany Lions reached a new height under James Franklin.

Without a doubt, the coach had a lot to learn from the team's experience last season. It will be amazing to know the major lessons he took from last season, and how he plans to apply them next season.

#4. The prospect of Drew Allar

Drew Allar returns to Penn State for his third season as the starting quarterback in 2025. He's back as one of the best and most experienced in the position for the upcoming college football season.

Allar was at a time after the 2024 regular season projected as the first pick in the 2025 NFL draft. While he didn't declare for the draft, it will be cool to know what the coach feels about having him for another season and where he can lead the team.

#5. Facing the top-ranked teams

Penn State has been a solid team under Franklin. However, the Nittany Lions have a poor record against top-ranked teams. The coach is 4-10 against teams ranked in AP top 10 and 1-15 against teams ranked in the top 5.

This comes as a crucial challenge in the race to win the national championship. It will be important to ask how the coach plans to navigate the high-stake games in the upcoming season.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash