Once again Penn State football has found a way to collapse on the national stage. A week after a crushing White Out loss, the Nittany Lions lost to a winless UCLA team, 42-37.
A defeat like that exposes far more than just narratives. Penn State is in deep trouble and has a looming red flag that happens to be at the helm.
It was the Bruins’ first win over an AP top-ten team since 2010. Interim head coach Tom Skipper led the Bruins in their first win following the firing of previous head coach DeShaun Foster.
The implications that follow this are crystal clear. Penn State can kiss its Playoff hopes goodbye–and while they are at it, maybe they will kiss their head coach goodbye.
Following the game against Oregon, the cracks became fractures, and Penn State seemingly imploded. Instead of what was supposed to be a trouncing victory, Penn State provided fans with more reason to shake their heads. It was more of the same. Inconsistency. Offensive miscues. Defensive lapses. And many fingers are pointing at James Franklin.
Franklin offered several of explanations for where the team went wrong.
"Obviously, we did not handle last week's loss well. We also lost some players in that game, and then everything else -- travel, everything else -- we did not come out with the right energy to start the game”"James Frankin
At one point, Penn State was considered to be a legitimate championship contender. There was real optimism surrounding a team that was one bad Drew Allar throw away from reaching the national title last season.
The hype mounted in Happy Valley, and the disappointment grew larger by the week. The Nittany Lions faced three cupcakes, providing no context as to how good the team really was. Then, the White Out. The Oregon Ducks, led by Dan Lanning, brought out the best in Penn State.
Despite nearly pulling off the improbable overtime comeback, many lingering issues continued to plague both sides of the ball. It was the team’s first loss of the season that provided valuable framework to the direction that James Franklin was taking the program.
The next outing was pure misery. The Nittany Lions failed to present any mark of improvement and the same issues continued to sting.
There is little to no reason to believe in what Franklin was doing. Penn State had come into the season as likely one of the best teams in the nation. Returning what was considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country with Drew Allar, as well as an elite running back tandem, an offensive line that was on Joe Moore Award watch, and a defense that was the backbone of everything.
However, as the season has progressed, the team has continually collapsed. From the offense to the defense—and even the coordinators with Andy Kotelnicki and Jim Knowles—everything appears directionless.
The ultimate resolution would be to fire James Franklin. Plain and simple.
Besides, the college football realm demands urgency. If you fail to come through, you can find the door. Ask UCLA, who previously fired virtually every coach at the top of the pyramid.
This is not a weird paradox. It is the cold, hard truth. Oklahoma State had recently pulled the trigger on firing long-time head coach Mike Gundy, and Virginia Tech also relieved Brent Pry of his coaching duties.
“Who’s next?” Doesn’t necessarily sound like a fun game. It sounds like a ticking clock.
James Franklin has driven Penn State to the ground. Enough blame, enough chatter, enough losing. It would be wise for Penn State to move forward before its blue blood status becomes jeopardized.
At 3-2, and now unranked, Penn State’s season teeters on the edge. A change of some sort is needed, right now.