Some weeks ago, James Franklin was selling dreams. He said he would make the Penn State fanbase produce the greatest environment in the history of college football. But right now, it’s anything but that. Beaver Stadium was supposed to be the fortress. Instead, it’s become a house of heartbreak. Penn State’s 22-21 loss to Northwestern broke a 30-year-old stat barrier. Two straight defeats as a 20-plus-point favorite. 

That’s the kind of record no coach wants on his resume, especially not James Franklin, who already has a reputation for underwhelming finishes in big games. Now, the math and the mood both look grim. From No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll to 3-3 and buried beneath Old Dominion in playoff odds. Only four teams since 1950 have started 3-3 after opening in the top two. The last one was Oklahoma in 1964.  

James Franklin knows it. This was supposed to be the year. The 2022 class’s last dance. The title chase. Instead, it’s survival season. But it’s not like the Nittany Lions didn’t have their moments. A 67-yard Devonte Ross lightning bolt, a Kaytron Allen burst, and then it collapsed. Missed tackles, dumb penalties, and special teams that can’t execute. Penn State handed this one over to the Wildcats with a bow.

On Saturday, James Franklin heard the boos. Chants for his firing echoed through the stadium as the Nittany Lions trudged off the field. From a double-overtime thriller against Oregon to surrendering 42 to a winless UCLA, Penn State’s downfall has been cinematic. Drew Allar’s numbers (13-of-20, 137 yards, one INT) tell the story. He’s playing it safe, stale, and short of spark. So, can Penn State still make the playoffs? Maybe. But “maybe” requires a miracle and a map.

James Franklin and Penn State’s path to redemption 

The first step is leadership. Drew Allar and Dani Dennis-Sutton have to stop being veterans and start playing like them. James Franklin’s locker room needs vocal leaders who can drag the team out of its own fog. Then comes their next big test against Iowa. Night game, Kinnick Stadium, on the road, October 18. The Hawkeyes’ defense is stingy, suffocating, and opportunistic. Win there, and Penn State breathes life again. Lose, and the Franklin era might officially be on the clock.

A bye week follows, then a date with the No. 1 team in the nation, Ohio State, in Columbus. Last time James Franklin had a bye, he went recruiting. This time, he better bunker down and game plan like his career depends on it because it probably does. Pull off the unthinkable in Columbus, and the Lions will roar back into relevance. Beat No. 7 Indiana after that, and the HC will rewrite his reputation from “can’t win the big one” to “finally did.” But that’s a lot of ifs. More than a playoff team should have in mid-October.

Because right now, Penn State is chasing survival. Win out, beat the big boys, and just maybe, the committee listens. Otherwise, 2025 will go down as the year Beaver Stadium went silent.