Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
V S . W A S H I N G T O N Michigan and Wisconsin – have been counterbalanced by losses to tradition- ally weaker opponents such as Ohio, Vir- ginia, UCF, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, Maryland, Illinois, Tem- ple and Pittsburgh. The team's identity as an o:ensive powerhouse – it has scored 20 or more points in each of its past 22 games – is not far removed from a period of stagnation. In 2014 and '15, the Lions averaged 20.6 and 23.2 points per game, respectively. Franklin is keenly aware of the advan- tages that Penn State's proud tradition provides, but he also knows that coaches and players shouldn't take success for granted. "I see sometimes we come in the locker room a;er a win and they're not celebrat- ing like crazy," he said. "I see sometimes a;er a win, the coaches aren't celebrat- ing, they're frustrated by the way the game ended. And I get that. But they're hard [to get]. For us, as hard as we work for 12 opportunities, you'd better enjoy them." For a program whose players, coaches and fans are hungry for a national cham- pionship, it's important to 9nd the right balance between high expectations and a full appreciation of all the step-by-step successes along the way. As the regular season wrapped up, red- shirt junior quarterback Trace McSorley, sought to make sure his underclassman teammates understood as much. Said McSorley, "Back to back 10-win seasons is something that we need to be proud of. It doesn't happen all the time, and it's something that you really need to cherish and look back on and be proud of because we put in a lot of hard work to get to this point." The Lions were able to secure that 10th win in their game at Maryland and have an opportunity to add an 11th on Dec. 30 against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. The matchup will give players a chance to burnish their resumes while helping to propel the program forward. Yet Franklin continues to have his eyes on the bigger picture. "I've seen it way too many times and I feel it happening to myself," he said. "The wins become expected, and when you do lose, they crush you. I see that with the fans, I see that with the staff, I see that with the players, and I see that with myself. And I don't want to live like that. I want to enjoy the wins, because we work too hard for them and I think we see, on any given Saturday, you can get your ass kicked. So you better enjoy them and you better not take them for granted, because you work too hard to get them. "I think that's very common in the in- dustry, but I just want to try to 9ght it. I'm getting older, [but] I do not want to be- come the old, crotchety, miserable coach. And I don't want my sta: to be the same way." ■ FANTASTIC CUISINE EXCEP TIONAL ATMOSPHERE Colleg W ve Av . College & Cato carnegieinnandspa.com | 814.234.2424 Corner of C Corner of Cricklewood Dr. and Toftrees Ave. carnegieinnandspa.com | 814.234.2424 . Colleg W. College & Cato 814.861.3463 gigisdining.com ve Av . College & Cato 814.861.3463 gigisdining.com