Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
S uddenly, it seemed, James Franklin and the Penn State football program had a choice to make. With a 66-3 bludgeoning of Maryland, an opponent that some see as a potential regional rival to the Nittany Lions, Franklin had secured a second consecu- tive 10-2 regular season. And yet, a;er dominating the Terrapins and a number of earlier opponents, the Lions were once again on the outside looking in as the College Football Playo: committee convened to make its selec- tions. Losses to Ohio State and Michigan State by a combined four points, both on the road with time dwindling, le; Penn State with an undeniable, lingering ques- tion to answer. Irrespective of its future bowl oppo- nent, 9nal record or ranking, how would this group perceive its season? Was it an overwhelming success, high- lighted by one of the most pro9cient of- fenses in school history and also featuring incredible performances in the other two phases of the game? Or was the Lions' absence from the playo: a black-and-white proposition, an ultimate failure given the potential that accompanied the team's talent? In the immediate a;ermath of the vic- tory over Maryland, Franklin found his answer. "I'm excited about being 1-0 tonight and I'm excited about winning 10 games," he said. "I'm going to focus on the posi- tive, not the woulda, shoulda, coulda, be- cause we can't a:ect them, right? No, no we can't." During the 9nal three weeks of the 2017 regular season, Franklin watched as an internal dilemma played itself out in public, and he was forced to acknowledge the unavoidable tendencies of human nature. Coming o: back-to-back losses at then-No. 6 Ohio State and then-No. 24 Michigan State, the Nittany Lions dropped precipitously in the polls. They had been ranked as high as No. 2 dur- ing their 7-0 start, but the losses sent them tumbling and le; them with no re- maining games against ranked opponents – games that might have allowed them to improve their standing. The Nittany Lions cruised past Rut- gers on Nov. 11 but needed more than 20 minutes to take a lead. The following week, they dominated Nebraska en route to a 42-10 halftime lead, but a dis- interested second-half performance propped open the door to Franklin's catch-22. "I'm 9ghting the ten- dency to not be happy," he said. "There are too many miserable coaches across the country who aren't happy a;er wins, and the same thing with players in the locker room. We are going to enjoy the wins around here." Considering Penn State's recent history, it was easy to see where Franklin was coming from. Dating back to the 2012 season, Penn State's most striking on-9eld accom- plishments – victories over Ohio State, P O S T S E A S O N P R E V I E W >> P E N N S T A T E James Franklin aims to keep Penn State's high expectations from becoming a burden FUN AND GAMES | IN HIGH SPIRITS Franklin and his players celebrate an early touch- down against Ohio State. The Lions lost the game, but they finished with a 10-2 record for the second year in a row. Photo by Steve Manuel