James Franklin was well aware of the elephant in the room when he took the podium inside Beaver Stadium following then Penn State football’s 30-24 double overtime loss to No. 5 Oregon on Saturday, Sept, 27.
The Nittany Lions had dropped yet another big game under Franklin, who has a 104-32 overall record in 12 seasons at Penn State but a 15-29 all-time record against a ranked opponent — and a 4-21 record against top-10 opponents.
‘I kind of look at the greater picture and get that narrative. It’s not really a narrative; it’s a fact. I get it,’ Franklin said. ‘I kind of look at the greater picture and what we have been able to do here. But at the end of the day, we have to find a way to win those games.’
The Nittany Lions are now 1 for 6 in their previous games against top-10 opponents under Franklin, with that lone win coming against No. 8 Boise State in the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal in December 2025.
‘I take ownership and take responsibility (of that). At the end of the day, I wanted that (win) for those kids in that locker room. … We had our opportunities,’ Franklin continued on Sept. 27.
Penn State dug itself out of a 17-3 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter with two touchdowns from Drew Allar to Devonte Ross to force overtime. The Nittany Lions scored in the first overtime period on a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Kaytron Allen.
The Nittany Lions came one interception away from pulling off their fifth win over a top-10-ranked opponent under Franklin, but Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman picked off Allar on the first play of Penn State’s second overtime period.
The Nittany Lions’ next shot at beating a top-10-ranked opponent is on Saturday, Nov. 1, when they travel to No. 1 Ohio State, a team that Franklin is 1-10 all-time against with Penn State. The Nittany Lions won’t have much time to dwell on Saturday’s loss to Oregon, as it travels to winless UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 4 for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
