111,030 bore witness at Beaver Stadium as Penn State (7-1) once again fell short on the biggest stage. James Franklin’s deficiencies against the best programs were exposed yet again as his team fell 13-20 to Georgia (7-1). Not only did the loss leave fans of the Nittany Lions wailing for their immediate shortcomings, it blemishes their side’s prospects in the grander scheme. One CFB expert made sense of how the result affects Penn State going forward.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich spoke about Penn State’s predicament on SportsCenter in the aftermath of Week 10. She believes James Franklin’s outfit are staring at a more difficult route to traverse through when the reformed playoffs kick off. 

In an excerpt posted on the ESPN College Football YouTube channel, Dinich said, “What it does to Penn State is it puts them in a precarious position, obviously, for the Big 10 conference championship game. Their most ideal scenario right now is playing for a first-round home game.” Within the new playoff format, 4 conference champions receive first-round byes. Losing to the Buckeyes leaves Penn State 4th in the B1G, and massively diminishes their chance to finish in the top 2 and make it to Indy. Oregon and Indiana are currently unbeaten in conference play and occupy the top spots.

Dinich also hinted at a tumble in the AP Poll for Franklin and co. “Penn State just missed out on its best opportunity to impress the selection committee, because it might not have any wins against ranked opponents. Even as a one loss team, with their best win right now [came] against Illinois”.

College football is fickle. One week you can be unbeaten and 3rd in the country, the next you could be looking over your shoulder with insecurity. Wondering if a postseason berth is at risk. James Franklin would certainly hope his side can win out and make it to the CFP, to afford himself one more shot at vindication.

A rundown of Penn State under Franklin

James Franklin boasts a 95-40 record as head coach of the Nittany Lions. He is the 2nd longest-tenured coach in his conference and won Penn State a conference championship in 2016. The program has consistently been amongst the rankings since he took charge 10 years ago. It is pretty undeniable that his leadership has elevated Penn State’s stock. However, his tenure isn’t watertight.

Penn State is 13-25 against AP Ranked teams with Franklin in charge. They’re 3-17 against teams in the top 10. Penn State has lost 8 straight games against the Buckeyes now. They have never managed to make the playoffs under Franklin. These numbers don’t bode well. Franklin needs to get the figurative monkey off his back and correct this in due time. 

With Penn State still in line to make the CFP in all likelihood, James Franklin’s opportunity to thwart some of the skepticism around his ability to take a team to the promised land beckons. Whether he succumbs to the pressure or rises on top is a fascinating storyline worth keeping an eye on. A Beaver Stadium whiteout in the playoffs is within reach. Penn State hosts Washington next weekend in their path to it.