Throughout the weekend, rivalry week came to an end, marking the end of the CFB regular season. As both teams compete for a berth in the CFP, the upcoming Big 10 Title features an unexpected clash between Oregon and Penn State at Lucas Oil Stadium. While Penn State is looking for atonement following a season scarred by prior defeats, Oregon, the only FBS club without a loss, is navigating its first season in the Big 10. Either team could earn a top seeding in the CFP with a victory. Who will win now? Amidst all these, James Franklin was counseled by a CFB insider to rely on his hidden weapon to upset an undefeated team like Oregon.

For those who are unaware, Penn State will play Oregon for the very first time in almost three decades. When the Ducks last faced the Nittany Lions, they had never won ten games in their existence. But those days are over. At this point, Oregon (12-0) has no losses. The B1G Cup is undoubtedly intended to be a high-stakes event. And it becomes even more difficult when you are up against Lanning’s boys. Therefore, Franklin’s team would be a less desirable option for the playoffs if they made one mistake. But wait, Joel Klatt told Franklin to have faith in his offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki, on the college football podcast “The Joel Klatt Show,” saying,” Andy Kotelnicki has got to find a way to get the ball to his best players. Go back, if you want to, and look at the play-by-play, or even the game film, or even, you know, the YouTube clips of what they did against USC early in that game on the road. That was a big game for Penn State.”

In addition, Klatt stated that because each team has a weapon of its own, the game will be a difficult test for both. According to Klatt, “Now defensively, Penn State is excellent, and this is going to be a big test for them, there’s no doubt. But it will also be a big test for Oregon because they haven’t really seen a defender like Abdul Carter. He is now the Big 10s player of the year on the defensive side, with 10 sacks, and 19 and a half tackles for loss. If he does have his say, Oregon will struggle at times because of the pass rush and because of the way that they can get after it.” However, the problem with Penn State’s defense is that, like all defenses, they perform significantly better when the lead is in possession, but this is because they struggle against the run.

However, defending the run is perhaps the worst thing Oregon does, and it’s not even bad. They rank 42nd in the nation in terms of average yards per rush when the sack yardage is taken out. You can look at Oregon in that category. As of now, according to Klatt, Oregon has quarterback Dillon Gabriel under his belt, and his calculations put them ahead in this game given their undefeated record. But Franklin’s playoff plan makes him appear to be quite strong in the race.

James Franklin’s game plan for their biggest challenge

Despite his laid-back demeanor, Franklin secretly hopes to avoid seeing the negative aspects of the playoff race. This is due to the fact that Michigan Athletic Director and CFP chair Warde Manuel has already alluded to a complete upheaval, as the committee will now assign the teams to whichever location they believe is appropriate in light of their current performance. The PSU will therefore have to take a severe hit and might potentially drop below the Vols and Sooners, joining them as the two-loss team with the ninth seed.

That being said, Franklin is currently concentrating on the Ducks. “What I would say is two things. Number one, I’m focused on the things that that I can control which is being prepared to play Oregon and play Oregon well. Then, those other things are outside of my control. I think everybody recognizes that.” However, it appears that he knows what to pray for. But Franklin sounded very assured when he said, “We want to make sure that these playoff games do not become a penalty.”

This rise in confidence could have a significant cause. The Nittany Lions have some good news despite the mayhem and impending fury of the playoff calculations. Nick Singleton, their running back, has finally returned to his peak after missing the entire season due to injuries. Watch to see if the player ends up being James Franklin’s lucky charm, and he avoids the penalty.