The track record of [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] in big games is well documented at this point, and shaking the narrative has only been getting more difficult by the year for Penn State’s head coach. Penn State lost its eighth straight game to Ohio State on Saturday, adding another loss to a top-5 or top-10 team to James Franklin’s record, which is anything but rosy at this point. In fact, the numbers are putrid.
Fans and critics alike joined in unison after Penn State’s 20-13 loss to Ohio State in front of the largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history on Saturday afternoon with comments ripping Franklin for not being able to get his program over the Buckeye hurdle. Even Franklin’s biggest defenders have lost the energy to put up much of a debate over it after being put into a sleeper hold year after year of the same results.
Say what you will about Franklin and his track record, Franklin did not shy away from suggesting he takes a hard look at himself after a performance like this.
“There’s nobody that’s looking in the mirror harder than I am,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference on Saturday afternoon.
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“I will say this, and I’ve said it before, 99 percent of the programs across college football would die to do what we’ve been able to do in our time here,” Franklin continued. “But I also understand when you’re in a place like Penn State, there’s really, really high expectations. When you’re in a place like Ohio State, there’s really, really high expectations. I get it.”
These comments are good to hear, but the obvious retort is the difference between Penn State and Ohio State is the Buckeyes find ways to elevate themselves and at least win some of the high-profile games, whereas Penn State’s record against the same caliber opponents suggests the program has plateaued under the current head coach with little hope of getting to the next level of being a national championship contender.
Penn State is still in a good position for a push for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but the end result feels almost expected at this point. Penn State may make the College Football Playoff, but will they be capable of winning a game, let alone two? The results of the past decade suggest a not-so-optimistic outlook.
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