Despite starting the season 0-5 and seemingly destined for more losses, Penn State coach James Franklin isn’t worried about any potential that he has lost his team. Or rather, that it has given up on itself following its latest defeat this past weekend against Iowa.
“I guess what I would say is, I just look at how we have played late in games, and we’ve given ourselves a chance to win some games in the second half by how we battled and competed,” Franklin said. “I think that’s a little bit of the nature of college football now with programs like a Penn State, in terms of the Playoffs. I remember seeing things and hearing things and having conversations about that, you know you lose a game, and there’s a portion of the fan base that feels like you’re out of the Playoffs.’
Franklin’s point is a fair, the Nittany Lions have been within striking distance -a somewhat subjective margin- in at least four of its games this season. Penn State has also scored 13 of its 16 touchdowns in the second half of games this year.
Against Indiana, Penn State’s overtime loss was well documented while the Nittany Lions were within eight points in the third quarter and two scores late in the fourth quarter against Ohio State. The same could be said against Nebraska and Iowa when Penn State found itself still with a reasonable opportunity for victory in the second half.
Franklin would continue his response with an increasingly common refrain that the playoff system has impacted how teams might go about their season following an early loss, or how fans might perceive seasons that do not result in a playoff appearance.
Ultimately though Franklin isn’t worried that his team has lost its focus or has some how given up despite having to overcome countless injuries, departures and now five losses.
“It’s a different college football now than it was 10 years ago because of the Playoff system,’ Franklin said. ‘But I look at how we’ve been practicing, I look at us late in games, and obviously there’s disappointment. Obviously, there’s frustration, but I see how our guys are in the locker room after the game, I see how our guys practice, and I see how our guys have competed late in games.”
As far as the quarterback to lead this winless team, Franklin wouldn’t commit to either quarterback be it Will Levis or Sean Clifford, both with highs and lows against Iowa during Saturday’s defeat. Levis proved fairly reliable with a limited offense while Clifford provided the Nittany Lions with deep shots down the field but two turnovers to his name.
In turn, expect to see a bit of both this coming weekend against Michigan.
‘When it comes to Will and Sean, we’re going to need them both,’ Franklin said.
