OPINION: Has James Franklin peaked with Penn State football?

It was supposed to be different this time. The Penn State football team entered Saturday’s game in Columbus as underdogs but an upset was certainly within the realm of possibility. Penn State had a ferocious defense that had allowed eight points per game, the best in the country. The Nittany Lions also had a 5-star quarterback, a vital piece James Franklin and his teams had been missing in the past. Finally, the Ohio State Buckeyes did not look as strong as previous editions that had flummoxed the Nittany Lions.

None of those advantages mattered in the end. Penn State put up one of the most pathetic offensive performances I’ve ever witnessed as a Nittany Lion fan. The final score of 20-12 does not indicate how truly awful they were in this game.

The offense converted just one first down on 16 third down attempts. The one conversion came late in the game on Penn State’s lone touchdown drive that Ohio State basically played prevent defense up two scores. Penn State posted a total of 240 yards, 73 of those yards coming on a final drive where the Buckeyes were basically letting them gain yards.

With its lack of any semblance of game planning, the playcalling was atrocious. Quarterback Drew Allar was bad, but he certainly got no help from his receivers. Letting Allar throw it 42 times and only getting your star running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen 18 combined carries was perplexing. It was especially odd after Singleton rattled off back-to-back runs of 20 and 16 yards on the Lions’ third drive and then seemingly disappeared the rest of the game.

On the biggest stages, the Nittany Lions always seem to come up short. For the fans, it is frustrating and disappointing. I’m sure it is within the program too but we fans only get to see the product for twelve Saturdays a year plus a bowl game. What is it within the program that is holding it back from taking the next step?

Franklin is a failure when it matters the most

Some Penn State fans choose to ignore James Franklin’s record when it comes to big games, myself included. After Saturday’s debacle in the Horseshoe, Franklin is 2-13 on the road versus Top 25 teams. He’s 0-10 on the road versus Top 10 teams and 3-16 versus Top 10 teams overall. Those are facts that can no longer be just brushed aside.

Penn State football measures itself against two teams in the Big Ten, Ohio State and Michigan. Franklin is now 1-9 against the Buckeyes. He is 3-6 against Michigan but has lost the last two years the Wolverines made the College Football Playoff. Michigan certainly looks good enough again this season to make their third straight CFP.

Before Saturday’s loss to Ohio State, I was not feeling good about beating Michigan. Even when it will take place in the comforts of Beaver Stadium. Certainly do not feel any better now, if not worse, about the Lions’ chances against the Wolverines.

Overall Franklin’s record is very good at Penn State. He has been a great ambassador for the program. He recruits well and now should finally be in alignment with an administration to have the tools the program needs to be successful.

But when it comes to gameday coaching and developing four and five-star talent, he falls short. When you are not the best gameday coach, you are supposed to have great assistants to pick up the slack. He has one in defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. On the offensive side of the ball though, Mike Yurcich is lacking when it comes to his role as offensive coordinator.

In fact, I would say Franklin has never had a great offensive coordinator in his 10 years in State College—John Donovan, Joe Moorhead, Ricky Rahne, Kirk Ciarrocca, and now Yurcich. Moorhead was probably the best of them but he benefitted from having a generational talent in Saquon Barkley.

The future of Penn State football

All in all, it adds up to Penn State football is not ready for primetime. Right now it feels like the Nittany Lions never will be. As the famous quote goes, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Fans who read this may think I’m suggesting firing Franklin and I’m not especially not at his current buyout.

But there is a roadblock within this program that is preventing them from taking the next step. It is Franklin’s and AD Pat Kraft’s job to figure out what that is and fix it. That is above my pay grade and after watching another excruciating painful loss, I do not want to go through that thought exercise.

But I think it is a fair criticism after being 10 years at a school of questioning Franklin. Why do his teams fail most of the time on the biggest stages? Yes, winning is hard in college football but the talent is there to beat Ohio State more often than they have. Franklin was asked about it after the loss and basically punted on the question.

Franklin’s Penn State teams have mostly beaten the teams they are supposed to, but rarely win a game in which they are an underdog. Are we OK with being a 10-win team most years and going to a New Year’s Six bowl game? The dynamics of college football are about to change next season and maybe 10 wins will get us in the College Football Playoff most years.

However, do we think Penn State can challenge for a national championship with the product they put out on the field? Right now it certainly does not feel like this program can and the future is very uncertain if they will ever be able to challenge the elite teams in college football.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!