The Lucas Oil Stadium is now decked up for the Big Ten Championship Game. Do you know the tickets for watching James Franklin’s Penn State facing off against Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks are as low as $20 a person? Yes, you probably would be spending more on snacks, isn’t it? However, don’t let the ticket prices decide how easy things are for the programs. Not for Frankin’s Nittany Lions, at least.

That man already has too many things on his plate. Going by the penultimate CFP rankings, with an 11-0 record, Penn State is now at No.3. Plus, they will be playing Oregon for the first time in nearly 30 years. 

Analyst warns of dire consequences for James Franklin’s squad

Well, when it comes to history, Lanning’s Ducks had never won 10 games when it last took on the Nittany Lions. But gone are those days. Now Oregon has zero losses in their bag. No doubt in the fact that the B1G Championship is meant to be a high-stakes game. And when you are facing off against Lanning’s boys it gets all the way more tougher. So one misstep by Franklin’s squad would make them a less favorable pick for the playoffs. On the ESPN College Football podcast analyst Sam Ravech sounded alarm for Franklin and co., “There’s a lot on the line for Penn State.”

He continued, “Here with a loss they could very well drop out of not only hosting a playoff game but they may have to go on the road in the college football playoff so this is a bit of a concern.” The Nittany Lions were initially the 5th or 6th seed. Given the current playoff format, it’s an easy ride for the first six teams to the playoffs. Now if Lanning’s Ducks lands an axe on Franklin’s program, they will be down to the 8th or 9th seed. With this, they will be robbed of their home game privilege against Arizona State. So, what does the Penn State HC have to say about it? Already he can sense a ‘penalty.’

James Franklin’s strategy amidst incoming playoff shuffle 

Well, Franklin sounded all chill but deep down he too is praying not to see the darker side of the playoff race. That’s because Michigan Athletic Director and the one who holds the CFP chair, Warde Manuel has already hinted at a topsy-turvy since the committee will now place the teams wherever they feel is justified given their performance so far. In that case, the Nittany Lions will have to undergo a sharp fall and could even go below Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers, joining them as the 2-loss team holding the 9th seed or even below. 

Right at the moment Franklin is focussing 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.” But looks like he is aware of what to pray for, “We want to make sure that these playoff games do not become a penalty,” the HC sounded all confident. 

There might be a big reason behind this confidence boost. Amidst the chaos and the incoming wrath of the playoff calculations, there is some good news for the Nittany Lions. Finally, their running back Nick Singleton is back to his form after being benched for the whole season due to injury. Let’s see if the player turns out to be James Franklin’s lucky charm saving him from the penalty.