At Beaver Stadium this weekend, James Franklin will coach under familiar pressure, another must-win game, another restless crowd. But somewhere in those 100,000 seats sits a quiet story that cuts deeper than Penn State’s playoff hopes. Eight-year-old boy, the godson of 247Sports reporter Tyler Donohue, is watching his first game in Beaver Stadium and cheering for a coach who once stood by him in the fight of his life.

Tyler Donohue posted a picture with his 8-year-old godson, who can be seen tucked comfortably in Tyler’s arms as Tyler poses for a photo from the stands. The 247 Sports analyst reminisced about the support his godson got from James Franklin and the whole Penn State community. Something, according to him, his grandon won’t ever forget.

“Year 1 covering Penn State, my 6-month-old godson faced a cancer battle. There was a ton of support from the Penn State community, including James Franklin. Now he’s a happy, healthy 8-year-old who is thrilled to make his Beaver Stadium debut. We will never forget the PSU love,” wrote Tyler on his X account. These are exactly the moments that make college football special.

As for Penn State, the team is in a bit of a conundrum now after losses piling against Oregon and UCLA. The UCLA loss was especially unexpected since the team had fired its head coach, DeShaun Foster, and was undergoing a transition. The loss then also started rumors about James Franklin’s job, as different head coaches, including Curt Cignetti, were touted for the job.

Still, Penn State’s roster is by far the best under James Franklin yet. He has his two exceptional running backs in Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. The WR room is also well developed this season. Incoming transfers like Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross, and Kyron Hudson are performing well so far. Not to mention, the Nittany Lions also have Drew Allar, a top-5 potential NFL draft pick. Using them, Franklin can still mount a comeback. As for the Northwestern game, James Franklin seems ready for it.

James Franklin sent an unexpected statement before the Northwestern game

Northwestern by no means has the same quality as James Franklin’s Penn State and is 3-2 this season so far. However, they did beat UCLA 17-14, and considering Penn State is coming after getting beaten by UCLA, an upset can be on the cards. But that’s something that has a very slim chance of happening, and for now, James Franklin seems ready for the challenge. 

He relayed optimism on X after the loss to UCLA and signaled moving on to the next game quickly. “Game Week! Let’s do this TOGETHER & go 1-0, Nittany Nation. Northwestern, Northwestern, Northwestern!!! #WeAre,” wrote James Franklin on his X account. The predictions currently give the Nittany Lions a 94% chance to win, which is huge. But this isn’t exactly a challenge for Penn State.

The upcoming games against Ohio State, Indiana, and Nebraska will decide if Penn State will finally make it to the playoffs or not. Moreover, even if Penn State wins all of its games, including Ohio State, a playoff berth still won’t be a guarantee. Penn State, compared to other teams, has a relatively weaker schedule and avoids other Big 10 teams like Michigan, USC, and Washington. So, even with a 10-2 season, James Franklin would still need some luck to fare forward.