Another Big Game, Another Penn State Letdown | Why James Franklin’s Seat Just Got Hotter
The White Out is supposed to be Penn State Football’s magic trick.
It’s a scene like no other -111,000 fans in coordinated white, a stadium pulsing like a snow globe under the lights, is marketed as the most intimidating atmosphere in college football. James Franklin said it himself.
But when No. 3 Penn State fell 30–24 in double overtime to No. 6 Oregon, that white sea turned into a canvas painted green. The Ducks celebrated in the end zone, and another Penn State season of big-game dreams felt painted over with the same old brush strokes.
Penn State Football Desperately Needs a Course Correction
Franklin’s Record in Big Games
The loss was more than a mark in the standings; it was another data point in a troubling pattern.
Franklin is now 4–21 against AP top-10 opponents since arriving in Happy Valley, including 1–18 against ranked Big Ten foes. His .160 winning percentage in such games is one of the lowest of the modern poll era.
Franklin doesn’t hide from it anymore.
“I get that narrative, and it’s really not a narrative, it’s factual,” he said postgame. “We’ve got to find a way to win those games. I totally get it. And I take responsibility.”
The problem for Franklin is that Penn State fans aren’t just frustrated with the numbers, they’re frustrated with the lack of change.
It’s been nearly a decade of near misses and heartbreaks, with no tangible sign that the program is closing the gap on Ohio State, Michigan, or now Oregon.
Drew Allar’s Struggles in the Spotlight
Drew Allar was recruited and developed to be the quarterback who could elevate Penn State beyond the program’s ceiling.
Physically, he checks every box: 6-foot-5, rocket arm, sturdy frame. But the senior is now 0–6 in his career against teams ranked in the AP top six. Saturday night was supposed to be a chance to change the narrative. Instead, it reinforced it.
Allar finished 14-for-25 for 137 yards and two touchdowns, but his interception on the first play of double overtime sealed the loss.
“That’s on me,” Allar admitted afterward. “We had opportunities, and I didn’t get it done.”
The stat line doesn’t tell the full story.
For three quarters, Penn State’s offense was lifeless. With the Nittany Lions trailing 17–3 in the fourth quarter, Allar finally showed flashes of why he was so highly touted, hitting Devonte Ross on a 35-yard strike and leading back-to-back touchdown drives to force overtime.
But even that rally had an air of desperation — more improvisation than orchestration.
Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes
Here’s a look at a glance at Allar’s big game performances over the last three seasons.
Last Saturday night looked like a carbon copy – a painfully slow start with a little kick at the end, but way too little, way too late.
- Ohio State 2023 – 20–12 loss (Columbus): Allar: 18-for-42 for 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs. Penn State managed only two field goals before scoring its lone touchdown in the final minute. Drives consistently fizzled in plus territory.
- Ohio State 2024 – 23–17 loss (Beaver Stadium): Allar: 21-for-37 for 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. The Lions’ opening drive ended with a 29-yard field goal, and a third-quarter series died for a 44-yarder. Against the Buckeyes again, touchdowns were left on the field.
- Michigan 2023 – 24–15 loss (Beaver Stadium): Allar: 10-for-22 for 70 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs with a lost fumble. A 13-play, 66-yard drive stalled at the 3-yard line, ending in a 20-yard field goal. His only touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter when Michigan controlled the game and the outcome.
- Oregon 2024 Big Ten Championship – 45–37 loss (Lucas Oil Stadium): Allar: 20-for-39 for 226 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs. He flashed two dynamic scoring throws but also tossed two costly interceptions, including one that shifted momentum in the second half. Penn State’s offense couldn’t keep pace when the Ducks surged.
- Notre Dame 2024 CFP Semifinal (Orange Bowl) – 28–20 loss: Allar:15-for-31 for 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. With seconds left, he forced the season-ending interception. Even more damning: not a single pass was completed to a wide receiver all game.
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The System vs. the Quarterback
Joel Klatt of FOX Sports put it bluntly: Penn State’s system doesn’t fit its quarterback.
“The marriage between Allar’s skill set and this offense isn’t right, and it needs to change,” Klatt said. “He’s not a quick-release passer, and yet they’re asking him to live in an RPO world of short, fast throws. That’s never going to highlight who he is. Let him sit in the pocket and push the ball downfield. That’s where he’s at his best.”
The numbers back him up. According to Pro Football Focus, Allar attempted just nine passes of 20-plus yards through four games this season. Last year, he ranked third in the Big Ten in completions on such throws, tossing 11 touchdowns on deep balls. The proof is there: Allar is far more dangerous when the offense lets him use his arm vertically.
But Penn State has doubled down on horizontal passing and misdirection — asking Allar to function like a quick-strike point guard instead of a big-armed shooter. The result is a quarterback who looks out of rhythm and an offense that feels neutered against elite defenses.
The Running Game Isn’t Carrying the Load
When Penn State has been at its best under Franklin, it has leaned on workhorse backs – from Saquon Barkley to Miles Sanders to Journey Brown.
The current duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen was supposed to be the next great pairing. Against Oregon, they combined for just 75 yards on 23 carries.
That lack of production put even more weight on Allar, who was asked to scramble and create just to keep drives alive. While he flashed toughness on a 20-yard run late in the fourth quarter, Klatt was adamant:
“You’re not going to win a national championship with smoke and mirrors,” Klatt put bluntly. “You need a downhill running game and a vertical passing game. Penn State has neither right now.”
Déjà Vu for the Fan Base
The agony for Penn State fans is how familiar this all feels. Franklin’s tenure has been defined by competitive teams that dominate the middle tier of the Big Ten but stall when the lights shine brightest. Saturday was no different.
The White Out crowd was electric early. But by the third quarter, as Oregon quarterback Dante Moore sliced through the defense and Penn State’s offense sputtered to just 109 total yards, the only audible noise came from the Ducks’ section. Even Allar’s late heroics couldn’t erase the sense of inevitability.
Penn State had a chance to steal the game in double overtime. Instead, it ended with Allar’s interception -which was very reminiscent of how the Nittany Lions’ season ended last year in Miami in the National Semi-Final game vs Notre Dame, and another night of Beaver Stadium going silent as the visitors celebrated.
But the Penn State fan base wasn’t silent on social media afterwards:
This #PennState offense stinks. Drew Allar regressed. Offensive line is bad. Andy Kotelnicki is a horrendous playcaller. Worst of all, James Franklin is a born loser. Nobody falters in big moments more than him. Teams always looks outclassed & coached. Pathetic.
I’ve been so wrong on Drew Allar and James Franklin and Penn State. Just a losing bunch of losers who lose when it matters.
This #PennState offense stinks. Drew Allar regressed. Offensive line is bad. Andy Kotelnicki is a horrendous playcaller. Worst of all, James Franklin is a born loser. Nobody falters in big moments more than him. Teams always looks outclassed & coached. Pathetic.
So What’s Next for Penn State?
Franklin’s defenders point to the bigger picture: his 104–43 overall record,his consistency in keeping Penn State in the national conversation, his recruiting classes that remain among the nation’s best.
But the criticism is louder than ever. Even Barstool’s Brandon Walker summed it up with venom:
“I’ve been so wrong on Drew Allar, James Franklin, and Penn State. Just a losing bunch of losers who lose when it matters.”
The October slate (at UCLA, vs. Northwestern, at Iowa) offers a chance to recalibrate.
But, November looms with a road trip to Ohio State and a home date with Indiana.
If Penn State wants a shot at the expanded College Football Playoff, it will need to win at least one of those — and likely more.
Veterans like Dani Dennis-Sutton insist the team will learn from the setback. “We’ve been battle-tested,” he said. “We’re going to grow from this, and it’s going to help us later.”
The question isn’t whether Penn State can rebound against lesser opponents. It’s whether Franklin and Allar can finally flip the script against the teams that define seasons. Ohio State lost to Oregon early last year, adapted, and went on to win the national championship. Can Penn State follow that model?
A Program at a Crossroads
The stark reality is this; Franklin has been here a decade, and the big-game struggles have never gone away.
Allar has now been the starter for three years, and the promise of his five-star arm has yet to translate into breakthrough wins.
There is still time.
The expanded playoff offers lifelines that didn’t exist a few years ago. But unless Franklin and Kotelnicki reinvent the offense around Allar’s strengths and unless Allar himself can turn flashes into consistency, Penn State risks being stuck in the same purgatory – good enough to contend, never good enough to conquer the hump.
For a fan base starving for more than moral victories, that’s not enough anymore.
MORE Penn State Football News from NittanyCentral:
Drew Allar Chokes Away Another Big Game | Penn State QB Report Card from 30-24 Loss to Oregon
James Franklin, Penn State Butt Up Against Ceiling in Heartbreaking Oregon Loss
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
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- Drew Allar’s Legacy on the Line vs Oregon Under the White Out Lights - September 26, 2025