“He loses far too many of these games in order for us to put him in that great category.” James Franklin has a problem. Against SMU, the Lions dragged the Mustangs out of the natty run and proved why a team with an SOS of 75 shouldn’t even mess with the big dogs. But then again, the win raises another worry. A 70% winning percentage but built on the ashes of weaker teams who couldn’t even hold the candle. That is James Franklin’s legacy, and that is the worry. Yeah, the Lions have an amazing defense, and Drew Allar has been spot-on with his dimes, but these do not stand the test of time whenever Penn State is pitted against a Top 10 team…

….And this allergy of “losing against the big dogs” is what will cause the collapse of this dynasty. “This would be just an unforgivable loss for a guy who has had a lot of unforgivable losses… Most of the time when he’s an underdog against the very best you see it, he can’t win,” Paul Finebaum pointed out on ESPN. History remains a witness that Franklin has only managed to clench 3 wins in 27 games against Top 10 opponents.

Their last big game was against Ole Miss, which they somehow managed to snag a 35-21 pointer run. Even this season, they went up against 3 good teams. One OSU game and 2 showdowns against the Ducks. All down the drain. The Big 10 title game was a galore of back and forth, and that is great, but when you are expected to show up and you choke like Dak Prescott, it doesn’t set the best precedent.

And on the other end of the road, Boise State is a big problem. It all boils down to the Ashton Jeanty factor. “The best way to attack Penn State’s defense is running the football.” And who can do it the best? Yeah, Jeanty.

This man is a pain for any defensive line for his ability to get down and dirty. “He runs really, really physical,” this coming from Dan Lanning, who has already managed to just “get by” the Jeanty threat, means something. See, the Lions probably didn’t even think Franklin would cut it to the natty run. His contract didn’t even have the bonus layout for a 12-team bracket, and it had to be amended recently. But is it even worth it?

Penn State’s defense is still strong!

Maybe. Keeping everything aside. One thing about the Nittany Lions that has continuously impressed us is the defensive line. Yeah, Jeanty is their Achilles heel, but at the same time, Franklin has access to one of the best-run defenses in the country.

On the FBS top 10, the Lions come at 9 when it comes down to curbing run games. 3.1 yards per carry on average throughout all of their clashes. This, paired with the fact that they have ONLY allowed 100 yards on rushing covering, speaks volumes about their D-line.

Add Abdul Carter to the list and you have, hypothetically, the perfect counter for Jeanty. But how long will this last? 6.3 yards per attempt, 2nd in the entire country. Paired with 250 yards on rushes, marked as 5th in the nation.

Unstoppable force meets unmovable object. If Franklin goes out on this, we are pretty sure Lions’ fans are gonna take the Buckeyes route and call for the firing. But if he wins, he can make the 3-24 record, 4-24.