James Franklin continues Penn State's annual tradition of losing biggest game of the year

This was James Franklin’s moment. This was his chance to make a statement, to show his Penn State teams tin hit nan champion of nan best, to hit Ryan Day for nan first clip and Ohio State for nan first clip since 2016.

And yet, nan Nittany Lions whiffed connected their large opportunity, losing different large game. And fans were intelligibly livid pinch Franklin — but they shouldn’t beryllium excessively amazed pinch nan unfortunate yearly tradition.

Saturday during No. 4 Ohio State’s 20-13 roadworthy triumph against No. 3 Penn State, nan Buckeyes had that seven-point lead midway done nan 4th quarter, but nan Nittany Lions were making moves. With little than 7 minutes near successful nan game, Penn State was first-and-goal connected nan Buckeyes’ three-yard line.

Run play for nary gain, tally play for a 1 yard, different tally for 1 yard. It was past fourth-and-goal connected nan one-yard statement pinch a chance to necktie nan crippled (with a bully other point) pinch astir 5 minutes left.

Penn State backmost Drew Allar took nan threat and dropped backmost to pass. But alternatively of looking to tight extremity Tyler Warren, who was covered by a azygous Buckeye while opinionated conscionable awkward of nan extremity line, Allar attempted a needle-threading propulsion to tight extremity Khalil Dinkins, who was successful nan extremity area pinch 3 defenders surrounding him. The walk was incomplete, Penn State turned it complete connected downs and Ohio State ran retired nan timepiece to clasp connected for nan victory.

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With nan loss, Franklin is now 1-10 against Ohio State, 13-27 against classed opponents and 1-13 against AP top-5 teams arsenic Penn State’s caput coach. Franklin, who has been successful Happy Valley since 2014, is besides now 0-6 against Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Not great.

Unfortunately for Franklin and nan Nittany Lions (and their instrumentality base), this is par for nan course. Losing a highly anticipated crippled and opportunity for a desperately needed signature triumph is highest mid-season Penn State nether Franklin.

Penn State usually enters each assemblage shot play pinch a sizable magnitude of hype down it. The Nittany Lions are usually considered Big Ten title and College Football Playoff contenders. But location done their schedule, usually astir Ohio State and/or Michigan, they driblet a crippled aliases 2 and miss retired connected a changeable astatine a convention title — and a changeable astatine thing bigger erstwhile nan playoff was still constricted to 4 teams.

A seven-point nonaccomplishment to Ohio State won’t wreck Penn State’s season, and a nonaccomplishment that adjacent to a top-5 squad shouldn’t driblet it excessively acold successful nan rankings aft antecedently being undefeated. And pinch a 12-team College Football Playoff, there’s still a coagulated chance nan Nittany Lions will make it.

Maybe a triumph aliases 2 successful nan playoff would make regular-season losses much digestible for Penn State fans. Maybe a back-door way to nan Big Ten title crippled — and a triumph — would make regularly losing to Ohio State much tolerable. Or possibly fans are getting really tired of Franklin’s talented teams coming up short successful large crippled aft large game, play aft season.

Penn State astir apt isn’t fresh yet to fork complete Franklin’s $56,666,667 buyout to occurrence him, moreover if angry fans telephone for his job. But coming up short successful big-time regular-season games has to beryllium getting old.