Last week, I wrote 3,000+ words on the Oregon game. Frankly, I just can’t do it again this week with UCLA. So in lieu of random thoughts (they’ll be back next week, I promise), I sat down with my fellow
BSD writers and we answered the question: what is the worst loss of the James Franklin era?
Chris Lucia
When it comes to “worst” loss I have to think of it in relative expectations of the team at the time. The 9OT loss to Illinois in 2021, for instance, came after a loss to Iowa with a heavily limited Sean Clifford, and to me was much closer to expected than not.
The loss to UCLA was not expected, but at least followed a trend of Franklin losing games after losing games (see also: Illinois 2021).
Which is why I’m going with what I consider to be the first such instance of the second loss dooming a season, with Michigan State in 2017. The Lions had squandered a double-digit fourth quarter lead on the road against Ohio State, then followed it up with a shocking loss to Michigan State to seal their fate that season. The second loss knocked them from the playoffs, and squandered the best QB-RB duo the Lions have had under Franklin.
Bennett
The worst loss in the Frankin era happened this past January in the Orange Bowl. I know people will disagree and point to Illinois in 2021 or this past weekend against UCLA. Those two losses are inexcusable and they were embarrassing. But, they – and name whatever other game you want – were not the worst.
That Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame was the chance to once and for all change the narrative. Everything that Penn State couldn’t do – win a big one, reach the top of the college football mountain, etc. – was there for the taking. And Penn State HAD it. They dominated and led 10-0 (should have been 14-0), but allowed Steve Angeli to give the Irish life. Even then, and as Notre Dame scored 17 straight to take a lead, Penn State battled back. It was the resiliency that Franklin said had changed in the program. They got the big break. They had the lead. They just needed one stop. Instead, the game was quickly tied and all the bad things associated with Penn State – not enough playmakers, bad game management, and an ability to fall short when it mattered most – were back in play. We know how it ended.
From that crushing loss, all of this alleged good came in the next few weeks. Players decided to come back. Transfers came in at key spots. There were expectations placed upon this year’s team based on them leaving that field.
Those expectations have crushed the 2025 team. They aren’t having fun. They’ve felt the pressure. There’s now no realistic chance they’ll get back to that spot where they were – a drive away from playing for a national title. Penn State will never get there again under Franklin. Period. That loss and its aftermath became the undoing of the James Franklin era.
Colin Murphy
Recency bias be damned, it has to be the disaster we watched on Saturday against UCLA. It was the final culmination of every flaw in this program’s current era.
James Franklin and his staff got outcoached by an interim coaching staff for 60 minutes. UCLA had not held a lead at any point in its first four contests- against Utah, New Mexico, Northwestern, and UNLV- but never trailed against Penn State. The defense did not even bother to show up until it was too late, and outside of a blocked punt in the third quarter, there was really not a whole lot to cheer about. The play calling was atrocious on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense. Andy Kotelnicki resorting to a John Donovan special on 4th and 2 at the end of the game was predictable. Clock management at the end of both halves was beyond comprehension. Kaytron Allen continuing to get fewer carries than Nicholas Singleton when we have five games of evidence that Allen is the hotter hand is wholly inexcusable.
This loss likely signals the downfall for James Franklin at Penn State. There are serious issues with this program that were masked by insane offseason hype. Well, the mask is off now. The ever-patient Penn State fanbase has finally reached the breaking point. If the team starts slow against Northwestern, all hell is going to break loose. The entire outlook on the program has soured, which in my view makes this the worst loss of the Franklin era.
Eli
I’m going to put the losses in two categories, 1) “hindsight” losses, where the loss itself wasn’t the nail in the coffin, but after the season ended, it became pretty clear that made the difference, and 2) “derailed any shot at anything of note,” losses that came after the margin of error was already razor thin. With that in mind, 2021 Illinois, 2014 Northwestern, or anything in 2014 and 2015, for that matter, don’t apply. Once Clifford went down in 2021, we knew the season was shot. Likewise, there was zero chance Franklin would come in and compete right away with a depleted roster in 2014 and 15. So that leaves you with:
2016 Pitt -> pretty monumental when you look back
2017 Michigan State -> season derailed
2018 Michigan State -> season derailed (see a pattern here?)
2019 Minnesota -> another hindsight loss
2020 -> Micah opting out and Journey being medically retired; while the Indiana loss in an of itself was brutal, the season, once again, was shot as soon as two of Penn State’s best players going into the season chose to, or couldn’t, play.
2022 -> Ohio State, derailment
2023 -> Michigan, derailment
2024 -> Notre Dame, hindsight
Like Bennett, I’m going to say 2024 Notre Dame. It’s not the most embarrassing loss, but, after just having gone through James Franklin’s entire tenure, the biggest difference between that loss and all the others is, well, they still would have have to make the playoff in any of those other seasons. This one was not only IN the playoff, it was 30 seconds away from playing for the national title. It may be the pessimism talking, but that’s as close as Franklin will ever get with Penn State. That’s the one that hurts the most.
Lando
I’m torn between UCLA and Notre Dame. As Eli said, a lot depends on what happens the rest of this season. If the team somehow rallies and runs the table, including winning at Kinnick and beating both Indiana and Ohio State, the Nittany Lions’ season is probably extended into the CFP. However, if, like the fan base feels, the season is over and the tcoaching staff needs a factory reset, then UCLA wins by a mile.
Right now, I will go with Notre Dame because of the way they lost-and to be a massive Debbie Downer, that loss may have been the reason some of the players that fans are not pleased with decided to return to school this year.
Patrick Koerbler
While I hear what my counterparts are saying about the Notre Dame loss, I didn’t have a feeling of anger or embarrassment after the game. It was the biggest moment for Penn State considering the stakes so of course it sucked they lost, but I thought they played well overall and just lost to another great team. Really, I think a bigger argument could be made for the Oregon game two weekends ago over Notre Dame. You win that, Penn State almost assuredly wins the UCLA game, and they are probably ranked No. 2 or No. 3 right now with a playoff spot almost locked up.
In any case the *worst* is this past weekend against UCLA. Temple 2015 is the only other one that comes even close in the embarrassment it caused. Not anger. Not sadness. Embarrassment. The type of loss that makes *me* question why I devote hours on hours thinking, writing, and talking about this team. At least the 2015 team we can lie to ourselves about ~SANCTIONS~ and say you know what, Temple was actually a pretty good team that year. Right now, what is our excuse? We have no sanctions, this UCLA team is as stinky as there is in the Power 4, and we are almost assuredly on the downturn of the Franklin tenure. Just sick.
What say you, BSD reader: what is the worst loss of the James Franklin era?
