This Just In: James Franklin STILL Can't Win The Big One

Saturday night's game between the Oregon Ducks and Penn State Nittany Lions was must-see television.

It had everything you could ask for: drama and intrigue between two top-ten conference opponents with championship aspirations, an absolutely frenzied home crowd, a two-touchdown comeback, and multiple overtime periods.

To the objective, unbiased fan, it was the perfect nightcap to a sensational 24 hours of college football.

But for Penn State fans, it's probably starting to feel a little hopeless.

With the loss in Happy Valley on Saturday night, head coach James Franklin fell to 4-21 against AP top-10 teams, prompting many Nittany Lions supporters to look around and ask, "is this ever going to happen?"

Since winning the Big Ten championship in 2016, Penn State has been in an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" situation seemingly every season, and 2025 is probably starting to feel like Déjà vu in State College.

It's the same script every year: Franklin beats the teams he is supposed to beat and loses to the teams he is supposed to lose to.

And even in last year's playoff wins over SMU and Boise State, the Nittany Lions had such an embarrassment of a talent advantage over both teams, it would've been even more eye-opening if they couldn't secure victories in either of those two games, the former of which took place in the friendly confines of their home stadium.

This is something I mentioned at the beginning of the season when Penn State was the media favorite to win the Big Ten, and so far I feel vindicated.

Franklin, to his credit, acknowledged his poor record against top-10 teams, but admitting you have a problem is only the first step. Penn State supporters are probably ready to hear some solutions.

Franklin and the Nittany Lions will have plenty of time to get things turned around, but I am of the belief that he's running out of time.

If Penn State doesn't win the Big Ten or go on a deep playoff run this year, Franklin and the athletic association will have to have some tough conversations this coming January.

This was supposed to be the year Franklin broke through; all the pieces were in place.

But after 12 seasons of doing the same things over and over again and not seeing the results commensurate to the resources being provided, it might be time to try something different.

Anything less than that and we would be approaching the definition of insanity in Central Pennsylvania.