Adam Breneman defends James Franklin after latest Ohio State blunder

James Franklin’s critics were out in full force on social media, but this former player came to the defense of Franklin.

Penn State once again saw just how much work needs to be done in order to be on the same level — forget getting ahead of — Ohio State. On Saturday, Penn State’s offense was dismantled by Ohio State’s defense from start to finish with the Nittany Lions not being able to scratch together a touchdown drive until their final offensive series in the fourth quarter.

After the game, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] avoided digging into too many big-picture topics following the loss, with most of the focus on the inability to move the football against a quality opponent, but social media reactions were putting Franklin and the offense and another year of shortcomings against the Buckeyes in the spotlight. As hard as it may be on days like these, Franklin was not without some of his defenders.

Former Penn State tight end [autotag]Adam Breneman[/autotag] was likely Franklin’s biggest public supporter after watching his former coach get roasted on social media.

“Anyone questioning whether or not James Franklin should be Penn State’s head coach is being absolutely ridiculous and irrational,” Breneman said on his X, formerly Twitter, account on Saturday night.

“CJF is not even remotely close to having a somewhat-warm seat. His job couldn’t be safer,” Breneman went on to say. “PSU has finished in the top 12 in 5 of the last 7 seasons, played in four New Year’s Six bowl games and won a Big Ten Championship.”

It is fascinating to witness the split reactions to Franklin’s record at Penn State, and both are fair to point out. Yes, Franklin’s record against Ohio State is abysmal, as is his record against top 10 teams and top teams on the road. It’s not pretty, but it is also true his team has been the underdog in the large majority of those outings.

But that is the point that grinds Franklin’s critics. After so many years, Franklin critics know Penn State will win the majority of their games, but it is those high-profile games where they have come to expect Penn State will fall short after seeing the same pattern year after year.

Breneman’s points about the postseason success should not be ignored though. Not too many coaches have wins in the Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. That often gets pushed aside by Franklin’s critics because so much focus is placed on getting in the College Football Playoff, something that has not happened for Penn State and now could be challenging in 2023.

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