For the second straight season, Penn State entered a marquee matchup with national implications and walked away with more questions than answers.
The No. 3 Nittany Lions set the scene with a white out setting against the No. 6 Oregon Ducks, only to fall 30-24 in double overtime. It's a result that reignited familiar criticism of head coach James Franklin and his tenure.
Franklin’s record in big games has become unavoidable at this point. Franklin is 16-29 against ranked opponents, with particularly poor showings against the nation’s elite: 4–21 versus top-10 teams, 1–16 against AP top-five opponents, and 0–6 against top-five College Football Playoff contenders. Those figures show the frustration felt in State College and beyond.
ESPN personality Paul Finebaum didn't hold back on a recent appearance on The Matt Barrie Show. Franklin’s latest missed opportunity was definitely a hot topic.
“How many times are we going to hear him say, ‘Yeah, that was our chance?’” Finebaum said. “You mark the game with a whiteout. This is your moment. If you are going to be taken seriously, you have to deliver. I say this with no emotion, and no glee, but it’s getting very difficult to take James Franklin seriously anymore as a big-time coach.”
The game itself carried that same theme. Penn State managed only three points through three quarters before rallying with two late touchdown drives to force overtime. While the fight was noticeable, the ending was all too familiar. In double overtime, after Oregon had already scored, quarterback Drew Allar’s first pass was intercepted by Dillon Thieneman, sealing another crushing defeat.
The loss not only dropped Penn State to No. 7 in the polls, but also placed its College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy. Franklin’s ability to beat good teams has never been questioned, but his ability to beat great ones remains elusive for him.
Finebaum’s remarks reflect the broader national skepticism about Penn State rarely showing up on the sport’s biggest stages. Until Franklin flips that narrative, the Nittany Lions will remain a program caught between contention and being mediocre.
Next up for Penn State is a a road trip Westwood to face winless UCLA. But the bigger test down the stretch will be whether Franklin can ever rewrite his record in defining games.
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