By Kyle Golik
One of my favorite scriptures, one that typically emanates in many locker rooms across the country, is from the book of Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” At many campuses across the nation, the football coach reigns somewhat supreme amongst the coaching brethren, at Penn State that isn’t the case.
Cael Sanderson, who is the head coach of Penn State’s wrestling team – one that is in a current dynasty in wrestling with 11 team national championships (only Iowa’s Dan Gable with 15 has more than Sanderson) and 38 individual national championship wrestlers, has the stature and resume that Franklin could only wish he could emulate.
Sanderson is a frequent guest to Franklin’s program and is always looking to motivate his team and try to share his recipe for success.
“Obviously, Cael has done a phenomenal job and is universally respected, not only across campus and in the community, but I know on our team specifically and in our locker room,” Franklin said of his coaching colleague, “His message is really very consistent with the messages that we give our guys all the time. It’s just a different voice delivering that, which is powerful. So it’s not the same message that we’re delivering from the same people. It’s a similar message. I think a lot of it is about being present, being appreciate, have appreciation, and then the other one is controlling the things that you can control and not inhaling or reading or listening to outside voices or words, was really the message.”
I doubt Franklin picks up the paper or checks out many columns following a big game defeats, let alone at this junction because this is his biggest opportunity to really breakthrough and deliver on his “good to great to elite” speech (I won’t call it a rant after being corrected at Big Ten Media Days).
I give Franklin, with tongue and cheek, the “Big Game James” moniker – stealing it from Los Angeles Lakers great James Worthy. Worthy earned the nickname by distinguishing himself in the Lakers biggest moments when the team had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson leading “Showtime” to many titles. Worthy led the Lakers in playoff scoring during their back-to-back title runs in 1987 and 1988. His Game 7 triple-double in the 1988 Finals cemented the nickname forever.
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For Franklin, we all know his record in Top 10 games at this point (3-17) is abysmal and against Ohio State (1-9) is just as bad. When Nittany Lion fans hear “Big Game James”, they think disappointment. Penn State looking at their remaining schedule has a manageable one to meet expectations, hosting the Buckeyes on November 2nd. But what if Franklin can do the unthinkable and win them all, how does that change the narrative for Franklin?
What changes for James Franklin with an Ohio State win?
Penn State most likely won’t face another ranked opponent in the regular season and definitely a Top 10 team outside of Ohio State, but defeating the Buckeyes will go a long way and build some equity for Franklin.
By no means is a 4-17 record against Top 10 teams and 2-9 against Ohio State changing drastically the narrative in big games, but it could signal a turning point for Franklin’s career at Penn State.
Franklin typically lands Top 15 recruiting classes and is aggressive nationally in his push to get the best athletes. If Penn State somehow could finish the regular season 12-0, the first regular season undefeated since 1994, Franklin’s message is only enhanced for those elite recruits Penn State has to battle to get.
The Big Ten as a conference is tougher, Southern California and Lincoln Riley is seeing that first hand this year, and it is now tougher to stay at the top in this league. Being able to reload with higher-end talent only helps Franklin to give Penn State playoff-contending teams on a yearly basis.
Outside of moving Penn State forward, Franklin would be driven to achieve a goal he stated back in 2019, “I don’t usually talk about this publicly, but my goal is to be the first African-American football coach to win a college national championship,” Franklin said. “That’s something that’s very historic.”
During Peach Bowl festivities, Franklin made sure his team went and visited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sites in Atlanta to talk about the impact Dr. King had. Franklin is the unofficial dean for African American coaches in college football, Deion Sanders may have more fame and greater playing credentials but it is Franklin who has the coach accolades that Sanders wishes he could have.
Many Penn State fans know when Franklin is driven, his teams usually fulfill Franklin’s aspirations.
Off the top of my head is the domination of Maryland. Many around College Park will tell you that Franklin, who had been the QB coach, offensive coordinator, and assistant head coach for the past three seasons should have been Ralph Friedgen’s successor when he retired in 2010.
Watching Franklin do what he did at Vanderbilt in comparison to Randy Edsall, who succeeded Friedgen, whose tenure was as successful as the Ford Edsel (22-34, 10-24 in conference), I feel Franklin still feels he should have gotten that job and takes it personal every time. Penn State is 8-2 against Maryland under Franklin, only losing in 2014 (his first year) and 2020. Five of the wins are by 30+ points
Another example was the revenge to Michigan embarrassing Penn State in 2016. The Wolverines dominated Penn State 49-10, a game that held Franklin’s team out of the playoff. The following year, the Nittany Lions won 42-13.
If a driven Franklin sees that opportunity to achieve his goal of winning a national championship, Penn State has seen that success from their Lions but so far in Penn State’s tenure, the road to the College Football Playoff has alluded Franklin and now the path is so clear.
Maybe Franklin won’t be the big man on campus if somehow Penn State runs the table or even goes 11-1. The further Penn State goes in the newly expanded College Football Playoff is what will truly change the narrative on Franklin, he knows that, and he doesn’t need any outside messages for that. I just want to see Franklin, with a team like he has now, get that opportunity to the Playoff because a driven Franklin is a dangerous one.
Franklin may not read this column but he knows history and a chance to do something historic will change his narrative rather quickly. In order to chase history, Franklin and his Lions must deliver a big second half or else the narrative won’t change for “Big Game James”, and the critics will keep critizing.
