Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
4 6 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E D I T O R I A L MATT HERB MATT.HERB@ON3.COM W hile Penn State was agonizing over a series of missed opportunities in its loss to Ohio State on Nov. 2, another Big Ten team seeking a return to national championship contention was enduring its own struggles 1,100 miles to the west. Nebraska allowed UCLA to amass 220 yards and 13 points on its first three possessions and wasn't able to recover from its slow start, falling at home, 27- 20. In the wake of the defeat, which left his team at 5-4 heading into a bye week, coach Matt Rhule conceded that fans had a right to be upset. "If I was in the stands today, I'd be frustrated," Rhule said. "A lot of guys in that locker room are frustrated. They know we're better than that. But we are where we are." Were Nebraska supporters more anguished than the 111,030 fans who trudged grimly out of Beaver Stadium after watching the Nittany Lions drop their eighth in a row to the Buckeyes? It's doubtful. But the plight of the Corn- huskers and their long-suffering fans does offer a cautionary tale for those within Nittany Nation who have called for a change at the top. As a college football institution, Ne- braska has a lot in common with PSU. The two teams were frequent national championship contenders in the 1980s and '90s while under the leadership of legendary coaches. Both schools joined the Big Ten seeking the financial stability that membership afforded, only to find Ohio State and Michigan, among others, blocking the paths that they had previ- ously taken to the sport's summit. The difference between Penn State's experience in the Big Ten and Nebraska's is that the Cornhuskers haven't just struggled to reach the mountaintop; they've fallen into an icy crevasse from which they are still trying to crawl out. Since Tom Osborne retired in 1997, the Huskers have played in just three New Year's Six bowls. During that span, they have brought in six head coaches and missed out on the postseason nine times. Their most recent postseason appear- ance was in 2016, a 38-24 loss to Tennes- see in the Music City Bowl. Meanwhile, in the 12 years since Joe Paterno's exit, Penn State has hired two head coaches, compiled five sea- sons of 10 or more wins, played in five New Year's Six bowls and won a Big Ten championship. That's a pretty good body of work. As Franklin noted a few days after the Ohio State game, "I think most programs in the country would be envi- ous of where we have been on a consis- tent basis." Nebraska would certainly be envious, and it isn't the only major program that has slipped up. Miami churned through six head coaches in its first two decades of ACC membership, averaging 7.4 wins per year. Michigan figured Rich Rodri- guez was the perfect choice to succeed Lloyd Carr but ended up going 15-22 in his three years in Ann Arbor. USC thought it had pulled off a coup by hir- ing Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma, but the Trojans had lost 10 of their past 17 games heading into this year's Big Ten finale against UCLA. Now granted, it could be worse is not a resonant argument at Penn State these days. When you go 1-13 against top-five opponents, there is going to be dissat- isfaction, and Franklin heard it when he came off the field following the Ohio State game. It doesn't help that Penn State also struggled against elite opponents during the waning years of the Paterno era. With its latest loss to the Buckeyes, PSU has now gone 1-23 since the start of the 2000 season against opponents ranked in the Associated Press top five. Given that dismal record, it's hardly surprising to find Penn State support- ers casting an envious eye at what Ohio State has built. The Buckeyes have been welcoming top-five recruiting classes on an annual basis, and now they have a blank check to go out and get qual- ity transfers to fill any holes that may develop. They essentially cut last year's starting quarterback, Kyle McCord, with the expectation that they would be able to sign a "free agent" who would put them back on top of the conference. OSU ended up landing Will Howard from Kansas State, and it's worked out nicely for them. Since well before the start of the NIL era, Ohio State has been showing what's possible when you set a high standard and marshal the resources necessary to meet it. Can Penn State rise to that challenge? With the losses to Ohio State piling up, a lot of fans are starting to despair that it can't. And yet, the Lions were in strong con- tention for the College Football Playoff heading into their last two regular- season games. That was a good place to be, especially considering some of the alternatives. Nebraska after Osborne … Michigan during the RichRod years … Miami at the dawn of the ACC era — they've all shown what's possible, too. ■ With a 97-40 record in 11 seasons at Penn State, James Franklin is the third-winningest coach in program his- tory, trailing only Joe Paterno (409 wins) and Rip Engle (104). PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Consistent Success Is No Small Accomplishment VARSITY VIEWS