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James Franklin’s 100th win at Penn State comes in the CFP opener

James Franklin’s 100th win at Penn State comes in the CFP opener

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It was exactly the kind of moment that would have fueled any criticism of Penn State coach James Franklin, college football’s standard-bearer for “best coach not to win the big one.”

Franklin faced a four-and-1 in the first half of Penn State’s first-round playoff game against SMU on Saturday and had its offense on the field at 14 with 9:30 remaining. The unit had accomplished little in the previous three drives, but two pick-sixes from the defense kept the 106,000 crowd on its toes and SMU on its heels. Now Franklin rolled the dice in what could be a red carpet moment for the Mustangs to march back into the game.

And because things have worked out so many times when Penn State has stared victory in the eye in crucial moments, the decision backfired.

“I bet you were tweeting wildly,” Franklin jokingly told the media when asked about the play afterward.

So there it was again: Franklin outsmarting himself and stubbing his toe at a critical moment, a decision that would surely doom Penn State again.

Only this time the story ended differently, and in retrospect, the call helped set the tone for a dominant 38-10 win for Penn State.

Four plays after the doomed fourth attempt, in which SMU faced a second-and-goal at the 7, Dom DeLuca intercepted a pass from Kevin Jennings, and the Nittany Lions’ offense came to life on the ensuing drive 25-yard score Kaytron Allen’s touchdown seemingly dealt a mortal wound to SMU’s comeback hopes.

“I told the guys we were going to approach the game aggressively,” Franklin said. “I wanted them to play aggressively. Don’t play on your heels, but on your toes. Four-on-one, I can’t say that all week and then not do it.”

The win — Penn State’s first in the College Football Playoff and just its sixth in 28 attempts against top-12 teams during Franklin’s tenure — had the feel of a turning point for a program persistently plagued by criticism that it too is often too small in the biggest moments.

It was an emphatic statement. It was a great victory. And for Franklin, it was win No. 100 at Penn State.

“Coach Franklin, he gets a lot of criticism that is undeserved,” Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said. “He has done a lot more than people give him credit for. Winning his 100th game is special, and being a part of that and the team that gave him that 100th win and having him on a stage like the playoffs at home at Beaver Stadium is really something Special.

The win sets Penn State up for a date with third-seeded Boise State in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, another opportunity for a signature win, but after Saturday’s win over SMU, the Nittany Lions were hard to beat or criticize to accuse the program of having a long nose.

Instead, it was a moment of celebration.

“I remember talking to the guys in training camp about wanting moments like this for them,” Franklin said. “It’s emotional for all of us. … I appreciate the 100 wins and all that, but for me, I’m at a point in my career where it’s all about the players and the staff.”

And yet, it was Franklin’s gamble deep in his own territory, risking all momentum on a fourth-and-1, that ultimately breathed life into his offense and secured the outcome.

The fact that the snap was faked and the fourth attempt failed will go down in history if Penn State continues to win. It’s worth remembering, said offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, that neither Franklin nor his team showed even a hint of hesitation in the decision.

“He doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s consistently done here,” Kotelnicki said of Franklin.

Penn State is now 12-2 this season, the program’s first 12-win season since 1994. Franklin’s team has won 33 games in the last three seasons. And yet the lack of big wins against Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State and a 2-15 record against top-12 opponents since 2018 was a dose of cold water in an otherwise historic run.

Allar said he’s used to hearing the grumbling, but Saturday’s playoff game was never about dispelling a narrative or making Franklin win No. 100.

“We don’t take these moments for granted, but I don’t care what anyone on the outside says,” said Allar, who threw for 127 yards, ran for 70 yards and scored twice on the ground. “There are a lot of people out there who don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. That’s part of playing at a place like Penn State, but it’s also part of sticking to our principles and sticking to our process.”

That process, Franklin said, begins again on Sunday.

If winning the playoffs was a start, the job won’t be over until Penn State has a national championship trophy, and so the biggest game Franklin wants to win is the next one, he said.

“A lot of college coaches talk about this being a four-game season. That’s not the case,” Franklin said. “It’s a one-game season. … How you value those reps and how you prepare gives you the opportunity to play again. We are in a one-game season and we just extended our season by another game.”

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