Penn State's Franklin on Another Big Loss: 'I Own Everything'

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State coach James Franklin made his usual move after a loss in a big game, pausing on his way off the field at Beaver Stadium on Saturday to talk to former players and other notables.

He walked through the end zone where No. 3 Penn State had failed to score twice inside the 5-yard line against No. 4 Ohio State. Before reaching the Victory Bell next to the team tunnel, in front of 111,030 spectators, the largest crowd ever at Beaver Stadium, Franklin had a brief exchange with two fans who reviewed the play of the second goal-to-go sequence of the 20-13 loss questioned on Saturday. Then Franklin walked up the tunnel to address his team, which was giving a speech after its eighth straight loss to Ohio State, its fourth at home.

Penn State's most recent loss in a big game under Franklin was due to two missed opportunities inside Ohio State's 5-yard line, several untimely penalties, some crucial referee calls and an offense that couldn't even reach the end zone despite spotting became 10-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game. But the result, no matter how it came about, will be compared to others under Franklin, who fell to 1-12 against AP top-10 teams at Penn State and 1-15 overall as an FBS coach.

Franklin said he “understands” fans’ frustration.

“We have an incredible audience here, we get incredible support,” he said. “You don’t do it without passion, and great things come from that, and difficult things come from that. It’s part of the job and I own everything.”

Franklin, seeking its first College Football Playoff appearance despite a 95-40 record at Penn State, has not beaten Ohio State since 2016, which marked the Lions' last Big Ten title. The Buckeyes improved to 10-1 against Franklin, which has six AP top-20 finishes since 2016 but none in the top five.

“There’s no one who looks in the mirror harder than me,” Franklin said. “Ninety-nine percent of the programs in all of college football would die to do what we were able to do in our time here. But I also understand that at a place like Penn State there are really very high expectations.” … I get it, I totally get it.

Franklin added that he had planned to address several points in his postgame press conference but decided it was “not appropriate to say them at the moment.” He later referred to “a lot of calls, 50-50 calls that can go either way, and in this type of game they are crucial.”

Quarterback Drew Allar said Penn State “didn't win enough moments” Saturday, including the game-winning turnover on downs with 5:13 to play. After a direct snap to all-around tight end Tyler Warren went 33 yards, Penn State's longest play of the game, and the offense was set up at Ohio State's 3-yard line. But three runs up the middle by Kaytron Allen yielded little scoring, and on fourth down Allar couldn't hit tight end Khalil Dinkins, who was well protected.

“We wanted to take it to Ty Warren,” said Allar, who returned from a knee injury, passed for 146 yards with an interception in the end zone late in the first half and rushed for 31 yards. It would have been a blast to play beyond the finish line or to be incomplete.

Penn State's defense, which had kept Ohio State out of the end zone since the start of the second quarter, had a chance to stop the ball and regain possession. But Ohio State's rushing trident of Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and Will Howard overwhelmed the Lions when the Buckeyes ran out of time.

The Buckeyes, who had a season-low 64 rushing yards last week against Nebraska, finished Saturday with 176 yards.

“Kind of a crappy feeling,” linebacker Kobe King said. “We prepare all week and do certain things with certain packages and coverages. We just didn't implement it the way it should be. Mistakes were made. People have to be in the right places.”

Several Penn State players denied Franklin's blame and reiterated their support for the 11th-year coach. In past years, losses like Saturday's against Penn State eliminated them from CFP contention, but the expanded field keeps the Lions well in contention at 7-1.

Still, there is a recognition that coaches and teams are judged based on games like Saturday's.

“If you don't judge yourself after a game like this, it calls into question your love for the game,” offensive lineman Sal Wormley said. “In a game like this you definitely can’t point the finger at other people. There must be something that could have been done.”

Penn State finishes the regular season with four unranked opponents – Washington, Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland – before awaiting its postseason fate.

“Okay, we lost, now we have to move on because this could very well be the difference between winning a national championship and not winning a national championship,” defensive lineman Dvon J-Thomas said. “How we respond to this loss will be a big indicator of what kind of team we are and what kind of team you will see in the playoffs.”