The Big Ten is heating up, and Lucas Oil Stadium is the final destination for some serious college football action. We’ve got four powerhouses vying for the conference title: Oregon, Indiana, Ohio State, and James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions. This week’s games could be a major shakeup, potentially knocking a team out of the playoff picture. Right now, all four teams are looking good for a College Football Playoff spot. But if Penn State misses out on the Big Ten Championship Game, a #5 seed is the highest they can hope for. Franklin’s team, meanwhile, would earn the sixth seed and visit Georgia to face a first-round playoff game at Beaver Stadium on December 20 or 21 if the season concluded with these Nov. 19 rankings. Anything might occur. In such a scenario, the program’s postseason expectations are high, but CFB insider Joel Klatt provides an unpleasant reality assessment.

On November 21, Joel Klatt stated on the Dan Patrick Show, “I thought that James Franklin, in order to have a successful season or in order to define Penn State’s season as successful, they had to win a playoff game, and the reason is and this goes back to what they have been over the last couple of years.” According to the program’s historical performance, their number four spot is in doubt. They were ranked No. 10 in 2023 with a 10-2 record and No. 7 with an 11-2 record in 2022. And their record this season is 9-1.

After this, Klatt added, “If you go back and retroactively place a 12-team model over the four-team model, you will see that the team that was left out the most was Penn State. They would have made six playoffs if it was a 12-team model and not a four-team model because they were perpetually right in that 6-to-1 range. Well, their average rank in all those years was about nine. So what are they really in terms of a difference from what they have been nothing unless they can prove that they can get into that you know final four final eight, you know what whatever it is, so to me the proof is going to be if Penn State can actually win a playoff game?“

Penn State’s ability to consistently compete at the highest level of college football. Well, James Franklin’s team has often been ranked highly, but they haven’t been able to translate that into playoff appearances. While Klatt’s perspective is valid, it’s important to acknowledge that Penn State has high aspirations and is actively working to improve their program to reach the playoffs. You see, their O-line has been giving a great time for Franklin and Co. The Nittany Lions have scored touchdowns in 12 of their 19 possessions in the last two games against Purdue and the Huskies, but this does not give them a pass. As you can see from the USC game itself, the Nittany Lions have experienced difficulties. It could have been 8-2, but James Franklin is 9-1 this year. They have encountered problems each time they have faced someone, even halfway decent.

But if you are not aware, according to the ESPN College Football Power Index, Penn State has an 88.8% chance of qualifying for the postseason. The initial rankings in early November emphasized Penn State’s status as a serious playoff candidate throughout the season. A one-possession loss to No. 2 OSU was the Nittany Lions’ only defeat. However, the Lions are predicted to finish just above still-unbeaten Indiana as per the ranking, which is quite unacceptable. So, the issue remains: does Penn State deserve fourth place on the CFP rating list? 

Is James Franklin’s Penn State truly worthy?

Most likely not. A defeat to the OSU is the only thing on their resume. Their schedule has been comparatively simple aside from that, which raises the question of why they are even ranked higher than the Hoosiers. Even if Indiana loses to Ohio State, their resume will still be far superior to that of the Nittany Lions.

However, rather than responding to the ranking query, the program’s primary focus at the moment is on their upcoming matchup with the Golden Gophers. At that moment, Franklin said, “If I start talking about things other than Minnesota, then so do our coaches and so do the players, and we lose focus, and then we come out and don’t play well. Then my press conference next week is miserable because you guys are all over me because we didn’t play the way we should have played.”

In any case, we should concentrate on whether Franklin can defeat the Gophers at all. You see, Klatt made a crucial observation. “If they can stop the run and make Brosmer put the game on his arm. They will therefore have a perfect opportunity in this game,” he said. If Minnesota can stop Franklin from running as much as he has against the previous teams on his schedule, they have the only chance to win. So buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!