The Moment Remains Too Big for James Franklin, Penn State
Nearly a decade has passed since Penn State’s last true breakthrough: a 24-21 upset of then-No. 2 Ohio State in 2016, sparked by a special teams touchdown. That win was supposed to signal the program’s arrival under Franklin. Instead, looking back, it feels more like an isolated snapshot — a rare triumph against a heavyweight opponent that knew how to turn promise into championships.
This season was supposed to be different. Last year’s heartbreaking College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame was meant to be a lesson learned. The Nittany Lions had the roster, the experience, and the supposed hunger to finally bridge the gap between “very good” and “elite.”
Instead, Saturday night’s 30-24 double-overtime loss to No. 5 Oregon reaffirmed the most reliable truth in college football: When the stakes are highest, Franklin’s Penn State comes up short.
Familiar Script, Familiar Frustrations
“It’s tough for me and everyone in this program,” senior edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton admitted. “We put so much into this year-round, so when you don’t win, it’s like, what do you do that for? But we know we’re going to bounce back next week.”
The offense bears much of the blame. After an early field goal, Penn State didn’t score again until late in the fourth quarter, when Allar engineered two desperate touchdown drives to force overtime. Those two possessions accounted for nearly half of the team’s 276 total yards.
That inconsistency has plagued the Nittany Lions all season, even in unconvincing wins over Nevada, Villanova, and Florida International.
“We just didn’t execute the way we were supposed to in the beginning of the game,” said senior offensive lineman Nick Dawkins. “We got it going a little bit at the end, but that’s inexcusable. That’s not our standard.”
Penn State’s issues were everywhere:
-
A lack of explosiveness at wide receiver, with just one completion beyond 16 yards.
-
Minimal production from touted Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena (2 catches).
-
An offensive line, hyped as the strongest of Franklin’s tenure, giving up five tackles for loss and two sacks while regularly blowing assignments.
Allar’s Conundrum
Quarterback Drew Allar remains a riddle. He flashed resilience late, running for 42 yards — his best since last year’s Big Ten title game — and sparking two scoring drives. But under pressure against elite opponents, his flaws are glaring.
Last season, his late interception against Notre Dame set up the Irish’s game-winning field goal. Saturday, with Penn State needing only a touchdown to win in double overtime, Allar’s very first throw was picked off by Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman.
“I’m always very critical of myself,” Allar said afterward. “Our process is our process, and we won’t change that. We have to learn from a lot of stuff from this game. Obviously, the outcome sucks.”
Meanwhile, Oregon’s sophomore starter Dante Moore looked poised and polished, completing 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. “I think we have the best quarterback in college football,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. Hyperbolic or not, Moore was easily the better quarterback in Beaver Stadium.
Franklin Faces the Fire
Ultimately, much of the blame rests on Franklin. His record at Penn State against top-10 opponents now sits at a dismal 4-20.
“I get that narrative, and it’s really not a narrative, it’s factual,” Franklin admitted. “I take ownership, and I take responsibility. At the end of the day, I wanted that for those kids in that locker room. We had our opportunities, but yeah, I take responsibility.”
As the team fell behind in the fourth quarter, chants of “Fire Franklin” echoed around the stadium. Twelve years into his tenure, patience is wearing thin.
Fans of Clemson and LSU may wonder why their teams have declined. Penn State fans, on the other hand, are asking why their team still hasn’t reached greatness.
Good, Not Great
The Nittany Lions are consistently very good. Double-digit wins are the norm. But against the nation’s best, the same script plays out: squandered opportunities, offensive breakdowns, and Franklin’s sideline bewilderment.
Senior Nick Dawkins acknowledged as much: “Fans have their opinions. He takes the blame for all of this. We have to rewrite that narrative.”
The problem? That narrative has been written, rewritten, and reestablished for over a decade.
The Road Ahead
Penn State will recover, as it always does. They’ll beat most of the teams left on their schedule. They’ll remain a fixture in the Top 10, and Franklin’s job remains secure. But after Saturday, greatness feels further away than ever.
“The way college football is today, there’s going to be very few teams that finish the end of the season unscathed,” Franklin said. “We’ve got to learn from this. We need to have a great week next week. We’ve got to tune out all the noise, and we’ve got to get better from this and get on a roll for the rest of the season.”
The truth is simpler: Penn State is very good, but not great. Until Franklin proves otherwise, that’s all the Nittany Lions will ever be.