The teams Drew Allar passed against, including Nevada and Villanova, were massive cupcakes before facing Oregon. The actual test was against Dan Lanning. The game did live up to its billing since it went to overtime in a jam-packed, whiteout at Beaver Stadium. However, despite a close fight, Oregon finally came out on top, winning 30-24 in overtime. After the loss, James Franklin is now being put on the spot, after it emerged that the head coach spent some time on the road for recruitment instead of focusing all his available time preparing for the game.

Despite heavy criticism last year, Drew Allar’s struggles against ranked opponents are still visible on the field. The QB managed to complete just 56% of his passes and notched 137 passing yards. His performance was then marred by an agonizing interception on 1st and 10 at Oregon’s 25 during second overtime, which put the game to bed. Of course, it’s not all on Allar. The defense was no good either, including the D line offering easy 4th down conversions early in the game. But when James Franklin was asked about his time on the road, the head coach was unapologetic.

Franklin appeared at a recent press conference and touted “tremendous resiliency” from his team and the team’s long-term needs to maintain top-class recruiting. “I get it, you lose a game, we’re going to be second-guessed. We stay in and don’t go out recruiting and win that game. But then next year we’re not in the position we need to be in recruiting, and don’t have the type of season that we should have next year. The years after that, people say. Well, you remember you didn’t go out on that bye week.” Franklin explained how the team had already spent significant time analyzing Oregon.

Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class is 16th nationally with no five-star commitments. Surely, the head coach needs to recruit harder to at least make it a top-10 class with one or two five-star commits. That explains why Franklin might be on the road during the bye week. “You know, we spent a ton of time on Oregon. We spent a ton of time on Oregon this summer. I think they did as well. And then we balanced our week between recruiting and preparing during the bye week for our next opponent. So I get the question. I don’t know if I necessarily agree with it,” said Franklin. The game against Oregon was not one-sided, and Penn State, barring some mistakes, played quite well, especially in the fourth quarter.

PSU was trailing 3-1,7 in the fourth quarter. With just 12:25 left on the clock, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, along with QB Allar, started a dominant 75-yard drive, culminating in a 35-yard screamer from Allar to Devonte Ross for a touchdown. The rest of the points came easily, and by the time the fourth quarter ended, Penn State and Oregon were tied 17-17. But in overtime, Allar’s mistake cost them the game. This has drawn scrutiny from a former Heisman winner.

Johnny Manziel and Shannon Sharpe highlight major issues with Drew Allar

Allar wasn’t having his best game. He was missing his receivers and struggling on 3rd downs. For instance, in just the first quarter, Allar threw two incompletions, which halted Penn State’s advance. After seeing all of this, former Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel asked a looming question.

“I don’t think I’m impressed with that quarterback. We’re talking about 15 being a guy, can he go to the league? Is he the best quarterback in this class?…137 ain’t it… You’re supposed to have that in a quarter in college,” said Manziel on a podcast with Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe, too, criticized the QB and was reluctant to declare Allar to be the top pick for the draft. “You played a game, and two extra possessions, and you had 137 yards passing. So you’re at home against Oregon, and I’m supposed to believe that you’re a top pick. I don’t know.” The verdict?

Penn State’s main problem seemed to lie in their D-line and quarterback. Due to that, PSU is currently ranked 67th in total offense in the country, notching just 397 yards per game. The secondary is showing some positive signs, though, and is ranked 19th nationally in total defense. The next opponents for Penn State are UCLA, Northwestern, and Iowa, which might again be cakewalks. However, Ohio State in Columbus, followed by Indiana, will give a major test and determine James Franklin’s fate at Happy Valley.