by Kyle Golik
When James Franklin arrived at Penn State nearly a decade ago, he was full of confidence and bravado. He said in his introductory press conference, “I take the most pride in coming home. I’m a Pennsylvania boy with a Penn State heart.”
Franklin has faced challenges throughout his time with the Nittany Lions. It was early on when Penn State was recovering from the sanctions and building the depth in the program. There were a lot of growing pains, pains that lingered into the 2016 season with losses to Pitt and then a humiliation to Michigan, albeit being thin at linebacker.
It would be the seesaw game against Minnesota where Penn State would get the win on a Saquon Barkley touchdown in overtime, and it was that moment that gave the team hope and belief the program was going in the right direction.
Franklin earned his first signature win against Ohio State when Marcus Allen blocked a field goal, and Grant Haley returned it for a touchdown. Penn State would go on to win their first Big Ten championship since 2008 and get into the Rose Bowl.
The Nittany Lions would, from 2016 to 2019, go to three New Year’s Six bowls in four seasons, something Penn State hadn’t achieved since Joe Paterno led teams from 1980 to 1983. During that time, it seemed Penn State was ready to dethrone Ohio State and become the reigning power in the Big Ten.
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Though Penn State seemed to have their nutcracker ready to crack the Buckeyes, Ohio State seemingly escaped unscathed and got over big time against the Nittany Lions.
In the 2017 and 2018 games, Penn State had big leads only to collapse during the stretches to come up short, losing by a point in each affair.
It was after the 2018 game that Franklin had his now infamous “Good to Great to Elite” rant, where you visibly saw the burning desire to win and get Penn State over the top.
Penn State, who never seemed to have the right answer at quarterback for Ohio State, thought it had Justin Fields, but he eventually flipped his commitment to Georgia. When Fields fell out of flavor at Georgia, he transferred to Ohio State and continued the torture of the Nittany Lions.
COVID didn’t help Penn State; it simply destroyed the team. Between opt-outs of high-profile Nittany Lions, notably EDGE rusher Micah Parsons, a medical retirement to running back Journey Brown (who had a coming out party in the Cotton Bowl,) and other injuries, the 2020 team suffered the program’s first losing season since 2004.
2021 was a tale of two programs.
It started as if Penn State reloaded and was back starting off at 5-0, but after devastating injuries to starting quarterback Sean Clifford and interior defensive lineman P.J. Mustipher, it fell apart in the second half with the Nittany Lions going 2-6.
Franklin then faced his second big challenge, restoring the Lions back to the standard he established in Happy Valley. Bringing in coordinators like Mike Yurcich (2021) on offense and Manny Diaz (2022) on defense has drastically improved the performance on the field and recruiting.
Last season’s showdown in Happy Valley against Ohio State, it felt at all levels Penn State was competing at the same level as Ohio State.
Penn State held a 21-16 lead halfway through the fourth quarter before two untimely turnovers Sean Clifford committed to Ohio State EDGE rusher J.T. Tuimoloau allowed the Buckeyes to cruise 44-31.
Franklin enters this Ohio State contest with the most talented roster he has had in Happy Valley.
Since the Ohio State loss, the Nittany Lions have displayed that they are amongst the nation’s elite during that span. Since then, they have:
- Gone 11-0, including winning the Rose Bowl over Utah
- Scored 30 or more points in every game on offense, averaging 42.3 points per game during that span
- Defensively has had three shutouts, allowing 9.9 points per game during that span
- Averaged 432 yards per game in total offense and allowing 209.5 yards per game on total defense
- Had a +19 turnover margin during that span (25-6)
James Franklin at Penn State:
• 2-11 on the road vs Top 25 Teams
• 0-9 on the road vs Top 10 Teams
• 1-8 vs Ohio State
• 1-11 vs Top 5 TeamsDoes James Franklin get it done @ #3 Ohio State this weekend? pic.twitter.com/Ecw5YmDZrb
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) October 16, 2023
I have written ad nauseam about Franklin’s poor record against Ohio State, his poor record against ranked teams on the road, and other notable collapses and disasters, but now it is that gut-check moment Franklin seemingly comes through on.
Penn State no longer is or should be using moral victories to show progress with its program. The only way progress can be measured is by winning these high-profile showdowns, and there is no better opportunity for that than this weekend’s contest.
A win at The Shoe will have Penn State fans in a euphoria. The hopes of realizing the “Elite” portion of the “Good to Great to Elite” is truly being realized.
While Penn State fans always echo one of Joe Paterno’s famous axioms, “Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence, or worth is a tragedy,” but the sense of how close “Elite” is will still be at a distance.
It may not be ever realizing “Elite,” but the emotions filled with frustration will have that feeling of never being there.
It’s now or never for Franklin, and he knows that.
