Penn State is stuck in Franklin’s cycle of failure
Poor development is holding back Lions
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar once again flashed the talent that made him a five-star recruit out of high school in Ohio, particularly on his 35-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Ross in the fourth quarter against Oregon Saturday night.
But in double overtime, Allar threw a game-ending interception into triple coverage, and head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions once again lost a big game against a highly ranked opponent.
It was another sickening turn for PSU — this time at home, 30-24, on a whiteout night.
Franklin, a former quarterback at East Stroudsburg and native of Langhorne, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, is 4-21 against AP Top 10 teams and 1-15 against AP Top 5 teams since taking over at Penn State in 2014.
Those are horrendous records. (And they’re not a small sample size.)
“Neither offense was explosive, but we battled, we were resilient, and we had a chance to win the game at the end,” Franklin told reporters afterward. “I’m proud of the guys in the locker room. Obviously disappointed and not satisfied one bit, but I’m proud of the way our guys battled and gave ourselves a chance to win the game at the end.”
This could be a quote from virtually any big game under Franklin. Enough already.
As frustrating as Allar’s interception was, it’s difficult to totally blame him. We’ve seen he’s actually capable of completing that pass into tight coverage with the right touch. But his mechanics and field vision are inconsistent, and his lack of self-assurance is a reflection of his head coach.
So many of Allar’s throws against the Ducks were nervous throws. He either pulled the string or fired too hard.
It’s crazy. This is a dude who famously entered Penn State bold and cocky — the sought-after best of the best from a football-rich state — and now he’s graduating hesitant and tentative. What happened?
James Franklin happened.
The reason Allar, who turned only 21 in March, stayed in State College for a fourth year rather than entering the NFL draft was because he wasn’t going to be selected in the first round — or the second, or probably even the third or fourth.
Decisions made in college can affect the rest of someone’s life. Sadly for Allar and his career, he should have chosen a better program than Franklin’s version of Penn State. Or, after being there, he should have leapt into the transfer portal before his senior year like Bridget Fonda into that kitchen laundry chute in “Point of No Return.”
With Allar’s raw talent, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have dramatically benefited from stronger offensive coaching — more adept from the top down — instead of Franklin’s hodgepodge and revolving door at OC and QB coach.
Penn State has had seven offensive coordinators and five QB coaches in Franklin’s 11-plus seasons. Judge for yourself if that isn’t insane.
How many assistant coaches does Franklin need to hire and fire before the school recognizes Franklin is the problem?
Not to mention, what’s the deal with the Nittany Lions’ schedule this year? They opened with Nevada, Florida International and Villanova, then somehow had a bye in Week 4. How was that cupcake gauntlet preparation for Oregon?
“The bye week came at a really great time for us, so we’ve continued to evolve,” Franklin told ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday morning.
What?!
Don’t get me wrong: Franklin deserves major credit for keeping Penn State football relevant again. Former coach Bill O’Brien did the real heavy lifting after the Jerry Sandusky scandal — O’Brien should be enshrined somewhere on campus — but Franklin took the baton and ran with it.
Franklin has consistently recruited well and kept Penn State a postseason contender. But should his efforts have warranted an $85 million extension through 2031?
Let’s be real: As long as Penn State is winning some games and no children are being raped, university execs are absolutely content with James Franklin. They’re haunted by Gary Schultz and Tim Curley going to prison and by Joe Paterno’s statue being torn down.
Penn State — 14 years later, after cleaning house and with new people in charge — is still operating from a place of guilt and shame. It’s understandable. It’s respectable. It’s warranted.
But at some point, don’t we need to address the next step for the football program on the field?
Here are the facts. The defensive side of the ball has been excellent under Franklin, usually top 10 or better each year, and it has shown up in the NFL draft with players like Joey Porter Jr., Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter. The list goes on. But the offense, aside from a generational talent like Saquon Barkley or a receiver like Chris Godwin, has been a different story — which is odd considering Franklin’s offensive background.
His recruiting classes are perennially rated among the best in the country. This year, Penn State returned a ton of its top starters. Yet Franklin’s teams consistently underperform in big games and big moments, especially on offense.
It points to a problem with player development.
And Franklin’s win-loss record against top-tier opponents points to a lack of preparation and poor in-game coaching decisions.
What would Allar look like with better coaching and stability? What would he look like with Steve Sarkisian, Jim Harbaugh, Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Josh Heupel, Jimbo Fisher, Kalen DeBoer — or Ryan Day in his home state?
I mention those men because they all recruited him.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning projected confidence leading up to Saturday’s game, in the halftime interview and on the sideline throughout. And I believed him! I didn’t see or feel the same with Franklin.
Lanning had his quarterback — 20-year-old redshirt sophomore Dante Moore — more than ready for a tough road environment in just his fifth college start. He was calm in the clutch and finished 29 of 39 for 248 yards and three touchdowns with no picks.
If you’re a Penn State fan, who would you rather have as your head coach setting the tone for your program, Franklin or Lanning?
Franklin isn’t going anywhere. He’ll likely make the College Football Playoff again. He reached the CFP semifinals last season, albeit with an easy road — one that prompted a seeding adjustment for 2025. But his buyout is doable. It’s low seven figures and negotiable, depending on timing and other factors.
He shouldn’t be fired without a rock-solid replacement plan in place. But make no mistake: Penn State has the resources to make such a move.
We’ll see how this season unfolds, but the choice is staring Penn State in the face: Be an elite football program again or keep pretending that “in the mix” is good enough.
So far, it seems like the latter.
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Email Christiaan DeFranco at cdefranco@medianewsgroup.com. Follow him on X at @the_defranc.