Allar gets candid about team’s struggles against top opponents

It is no secret that Penn State has struggled to win big games under head coach James Franklin.

While the Nittany Lions have finished with double-digit wins in six of the past nine seasons, including a 13-3 season in 2024 that culminated with a loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals, they have struggled to beat quality opponents.

Quarterback Drew Allar, who enters the 2025 season with the fifth-shortest odds (+1600) to win the Heisman Trophy, per FanDuel, was honest about Penn State’s lack of success during his appearance at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.

“We definitely need to get over the hump,” Allar said, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter. “There’s no question about it.”

Penn State is only 4-20 against top-10 opponents under Franklin, although the three losses last season were all by one score. Allar is 23-6 as a starter, but threw a costly interception against Notre Dame that ultimately led to the game-winning field goal from the Fighting Irish. 

With experience on its side and lofty expectations entering the season as the No. 1-ranked team in ESPN’s offseason poll, Allar pointed to better execution as a key to Penn State’s success.

“We definitely need to find different ways to come out with different results in those games,” Allar said. “We haven’t really been blown out of the water by any team. … it’s just about execution. … finding those areas to make one or two more plays throughout those games. … That’s going to be our focus.”

One key for Penn State is the return of its two leading rushers from last season, Kaytron Allen (1,108 yards) and Nicholas Singleton (1,099 yards), who combined for 20 TDs. That experience, along with Allar’s improved accuracy (66.5%) and career-high 3,327 passing yards from 2024, gives the Nittany Lions a lot of upside going into 2025.

Allar did have an uptick in interceptions (eight) and was sacked 19 times last season, which are two concerning areas, especially against top-ranked opponents. That must improve for Penn State to reverse course and finally win meaningful games. 

For now, the focus is on its lack of success in those games under Franklin. If Penn State can execute and not beat itself, perhaps one of those games will eventually go its way. Until then, it will face the same questions as it looks to put its past struggles in big games behind it.