Penn State fans lead the nation in feeling like they have it bad while having it better than almost everyone.
That may sound like a knock, but it’s not. It’s just the reality of Penn State football. Everything is relative, and this has been a consistently excellent program under James Franklin. The highest heights have eluded him. It’s OK to want more. It’s also OK to understand it could be worse.
College football media can spit out stats on Franklin’s big-game failures at Penn State — 1-15 against top-5 teams and now 4-21 against the top 10 after Saturday’s 30-24 double-overtime home loss to No. 6 Oregon — like a Tennessean reciting “Rocky Top.” Also, his 104-43 record is 12 wins better than Joe Paterno’s last 147 games, for a program that last won it all in 1986. Things like this are mentioned much less.
That brings us to a referendum weekend on the Penn State message boards. Let’s check in on the arguments, anger, hope, despair and reflection.
Start Friday with this thread title from Smoke: “It’s now or never for Franklin … No more excuses.”
Smoke: “I’ll start off by saying I want Franklin to be our head coach for the next 10 years. He has gotten everything he wanted for this year to win against Oregon. … Other than a lucky Ohio State win, he hasn’t beaten any team where his team wasn’t the more talented team. A lot of coaches beat someone once in a while where they are the less talented team. … If he doesn’t win this one, we are what we are.”
The responses? Strongly opposed to the post and in favor of Franklin. But defenders are loudest when things are going well, while skeptics pounce on adversity.
Abbottdjr717: “Franklin will win a lot more games and championships at an SEC school with turnkey-ready NIL support. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s excuses when we go back to being a nine-win football team.”
Ftlawdog: “The bar will always be moved. We win, it won’t count because Oregon wasn’t top 5 and was overrated. They could only do it because of the White Out. Penn State was the favorite so they should have won. Blah, blah, blah. These board-smacked asses have no credibility. They’d rather Penn State lose so they can come on here and act like douche bags rather than celebrate a win. We constantly see it, whenever something is going well, they all but disappear.”
Pittston-Lion counters: “That’s not remotely true. The Penn State/Franklin thing is way bigger than the fandom and these boards. It’s literally the number one talking point about us everywhere. I’ve heard more people nationally pick Oregon this week not because they’re better, but simply because this is the kind of game we lose.”
Zacattack7: “If we’re being realistic, the narrative should be ‘James Franklin hasn’t taken PSU into the elite of the elite stratosphere, the same way Kirby Smart took Georgia there,’ That’s it. This idea that he can’t win big games is stupid. Like legitimately lacks insight, understanding and intelligence. Do you think that James gets tight vs. Ohio State and Michigan, but because SMU and Boise were lesser programs he didn’t get tight for Playoff games? Why wasn’t he tight for the Rose Bowl? Cotton Bowl? Fiesta Bowl? … I am getting tired of it. For James’ sake if this sticks in his craw it’s great motivation to win Saturday.”
Teddy97: “I can, and also can’t, believe we are having this argument before the game is even played.”
On to the game. Physical and hard-fought from the start. And before long, reminiscent of other big games under Franklin in which his offense did not do enough to support a ferocious defense. Franklin defenders, stand down. Haters, you’re up.
EpicBeardMan: “James Franklin offenses are trash against similarly talented or better teams.”
Griznigalo: “Is there a coaching portal?”
Dmr221psu: “Drew Allar and James Franklin are the same person in big games.”
It keeps getting worse for the offense. Allar and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki are getting nearly as many mentions as Franklin. Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, formerly Allar’s backup, also is on the minds of the fans.
Gkors12: “Beau Pribula was not good enough to beat out Drew Allar at PSU but he transfers and he now looks like the best QB in the country. (Ole Miss receiver) Tre Wallace was terrible here and is now a conference leader in receiving in the SEC. It’s not the players. Allar is not the problem. Nor the vast majority of the other offensive players. It’s the coaching.”
In the home stadium, it’s 10-3 Ducks and loud boos greet a stuffed quarterback draw in the third quarter. On the boards?
BigJ47: “How is it possible that Franklin continues to miss on OCs?”
NewYorkNittany: “As a failed OC himself, he has no idea what a good OC looks like.”
PSU32571: “James the Fraudlin.”
Teddy97, now comfortable having the conversation: “Franklin will be a punchline tomorrow morning and deserves to be.”
NIL_Champ: “Time to start the fire Franklin threads. Higher ranked. Favored. Home field. Same turtle.”
Mem18: “We are cursed.”
Smoke: “More incompetent.”
EpicBeardMan: “Franklin could bring in Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell to run his offense and it would still look like ****”
Jpolo: “This is the definition of insanity, right?”
The Ducks make it 17-3. It appears to be over.
Istlion: “Can’t wait for the mental gymnastics of the James Franklin fan club after this one.”
Eagle218: “Yeah … includes some media members.”
Istlion: “What really hurts is knowing nothing will change.”
“Fire Franklin!” chants are reported in the stadium. Then Allar hits a touchdown pass on a quick hitter of a drive.
BMW199: “Man, glad I didn’t call for anyone’s job five minutes ago.”
Stephen Light: “Don’t worry, plenty of time left.”
The home team has momentum. The tying touchdown comes on a Kotelnicki special, a shovel pass with some nifty misdirection.
Artie Bucco: “OK that was a neat play.”
Overtime.
DelawareLion: “(Crapped) on Kotelnicki all day but that is how you execute on offense with the game on the line.”
JoshR: “Heart meet throat.”
Teddy97: “Oh good lord, why is this team doing this to me?”
Rck127 posts a foreboding GIF: Michael Scott of “The Office” saying, “No question about it, I’m ready to get hurt again.”
That’s what happens, despite a lead in the first overtime, and on an Allar pick to end the game.
Stephen Light: “Perfect. Good night Irene.”
Rmj147: “Narrative. Continues. Drew. Allar.”
Drew Allar and the Penn State offense struggled against Oregon on Saturday as the Nittany Lions passed for 137 yards. (James Lang / Imagn Images)
Chester Copperpot: “Sorry, but Beau should be the QB for this team.”
KJB32812: “I legit feel bad for Franklin. He just can’t beat the stigma. Amazing, yet sad.”
KerryCollinsRevival: “Mentally, where do we go?”
Not Jack Hammer responds with another effective GIF: John Belushi in “Animal House” emptying a Jack Daniels bottle in one giant gulp.
Chromehill: “Ryan Day > James Franklin.”
Yes, that’s right. A Penn State fan angry with Franklin dropped the mic with an insult — comparing him to the coach of the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. There’s got to be a lesson in there somewhere.
If there’s a representative Penn State fan take at this point, I think it might have been best expressed by PSULion65 on Sunday morning. Here’s a portion of that post:
“Enough with the excuses. Franklin built this staff. He’s had veteran teams. Over the last five years only Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, and Michigan have had more NFL draft picks. Each of those teams has won national championships. What more does he need? What more should he be given? This isn’t a NIL issue…
“Franklin is who he is. He’s a good coach, but he’s not great. We are who we are. We’re a fringe top-10 team. We will not get past that with Franklin at the helm. … I appreciate what Franklin has done. He’s rebuilt the program. In doing so, he’s also elevated the expectations, and not just of the program, but of himself. He’s leveraged himself a few too many times, and he’s reached his ceiling.
“Some people are fine with the current state of the program. I am not. Change will be necessary to get us to the next level. Perhaps it happens with the next coach. Perhaps it doesn’t. I don’t know. What I do know is doing nothing will accomplish nothing, and I am not accepting of that.”
It’s hard to argue with PSULion65 at this point, except that Andy Reid and other coaches didn’t have what it took to win the big one until they did it. Franklin will have more opportunities this season — and probably beyond, because this situation only changes when he decides it changes.
(Top photo of James Franklin: James Lang / Imagn Images)
