Blue White Illustrated

Facing a third-and-2 at their own 36- yard line, with the play clock set to ex- pire on quarterback Sean Cli8ord, Franklin hurried to the line judge to call a timeout, the Lions' second of the half. The apparent disorganization of its of- fensive operation caused a stir in the crowd. There were even some boos. Given some additional context, Franklin's frustration at hearing boos becomes clear. Two weeks earlier, when asked to reminisce about Penn State's 2016 win against Minnesota and the transformation that followed, his allu- sions had unmistakable clarity. The Lions had gone into that game with a 2-2 record and were fresh o8 a 49-10 loss at Michigan. They headed into hal9ime trailing the Gophers by a 13-3 score. Then as now, the fans in Beaver Sta- dium let Franklin and the rest of Penn State football's operation know of their displeasure. "I remember it very clearly, how the stadium was, and how the stadium was with me and how the stadium was with the team," Franklin said. "I remember that very clearly. I probably always will." Times have changed since then. The Lions went on to win that game in overtime, 29-26, and it turned out to be the 7rst of nine consecutive victories. They 7nished with a Big Ten champi- onship, a Rose Bowl berth and the team's 7rst season with double-digit wins since 2009. Then came an 11-2 season and a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2017, and a 9-4 7nish last year that culmi- nated in another New Year's Day bowl appearance. Prior to the start of the 2019 season, the consensus seemed to be that Penn State would win eight or nine games. The Lions were picked by a lot of people to 7nish behind Ohio State, Michigan and maybe even Michigan State in the Big Ten's East Division. But with two regular-season games remaining, they had already matched or exceeded those expectations. The one thing Penn State hasn't done since its turnaround three years ago has been to make the College Football Play- o8. Its absence has created tension among some fans – a reaction that out- going Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany foresaw when he noted this past sum- mer that the CFP hadn't necessarily made college football's postseason into a more ful7lling experience. "With the four-team playo8s," Delany said, "it's ironic that we've doubled the access but I think more than doubled the feeling of exclusion when you're not in." That Penn State has even been in the conversation in November in three of the past four seasons is remarkable, however. Consider the following: • From the start of the 2017 season through their victory over Indiana ear- lier this month, the Nittany Lions were 29-4 as favorites. In the same span, they were the underdog on only four occa- sions, including the past three years against Ohio State and once at Michigan in 2018. • With only Rutgers remaining on their home schedule, the Nittany Lions can secure three unbeaten seasons at Beaver Stadium out of the past four. Before 2016, Penn State hadn't won all of its home games in a season since 2008. • Since 2016, only four teams in the country – Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma – have better win- ning percentages than Penn State. With or without a CFP appearance, the success that the Nittany Lions have had in the wake of some of the program's most challenging years is something Franklin does not gloss over. "I'm very proud of it. I think whenever you can point out some things and have some conversations with people that il- lustrate some of the success, and some of the adversity that you've been able to overcome, that's important [to do]," he said. "To be honest with you, I don't know if it's talked about enough. To think about how far we've come in the last eight years, it's remarkable." For the "loyal, positive" Penn State fans 7lling Beaver Stadium each week, and maybe more for the program's boo- birds, it's an achievement Franklin be- lieves is well worth keeping in mind. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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