James Franklin has been largely known for his struggle with giant opponents since he stepped up as the new Penn State coach. But last Saturday in LA, the momentum was quite different. Franklin took his team to the victory stand with a few astute calls, dooming the USC Trojans in the overtime. It was a very rare evening in the veteran’s coaching career and hence deserves all the spotlight it gets. The 24-17 loss of the Nittany Lions to Minnesota started to fade out in an overwhelming bounce back. Adding to the rolling eyeballs, renowned ESPN analyst Greg McElroy let his thoughts out on the fiery trajectory of Franklin and the team heading to an intense week 8 battle.

The first-ever contest between the two powerhouse programs since 2017 bore fruit big time. It brought out everything fans waited with bated breath for a long. Watching an unstoppable Penn State on the play, McElroy, on the ESPN College Football podcast,  noted, ‘‘Look at the first half you got dropped passes you got uh offensive pass interference that wipes away a touchdown you got a bunch of mistakes that just piled up there in the first half you got a defense that can’t find the football it’s like well we’ve seen this before you know James Franklin, here he is again, the bigger the moment the bigger the opportunity the bigger the stage, the more things seemingly seem to unravel.”

Explaining Penn State’s approach toward a well-built Trojans, McElroy continued, ‘‘They threw everything they had and yet still had a couple of stalls in the red zone They had to settle for those field goals but Andy… said no no we got more in the tank guys we do boom double pass funky formation.”

Penn State fought off an incredible battle to come out victorious against the Trojans

The game kicked off with a bang as Penn State made an early statement, nailing a 34-yard field goal in the first quarter. But if fans thought it would be smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions, they were in for a surprise. The Trojans quickly bounced back with an electrifying touchdown run, flipping the momentum in their favor and ending the first half on top. The second half was nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Penn State answered with a jaw-dropping 32-yard touchdown by Tyler Warren, showcasing yet again the magic of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who brilliantly placed the ball in the hands of quarterback Drew Allar.

Just when the tension couldn’t get any higher, it all came down to Bryan Barker, who delivered the game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime. But beyond the thrilling back-and-forth action on the field, Coach Franklin also showcased class and sportsmanship, intervening to stop redshirt sophomore cornerback Audavion Collins from planting the “We Are” flag at midfield, a move that would have disrespected the visiting team.

It wasn’t just a victory for Penn State—it was a win for grace under pressure and respect for the game. Greg McElroy couldn’t help but heap praise on the revitalized James Franklin-led squad, and fans are buzzing about what’s next for the Nittany Lions.

What are your thoughts on McElroy’s take on this renewed Penn State team? Drop your comments below!