They had it. Penn State had it right there in the palm of their hand. 2 minutes on the clock, the Orange Bowl semifinal— and boom. Drew Allar lets it fly… interception. Just like that, season over. Dreams crushed. James Franklin staring into the abyss again. And now? It’s 2025, and Happy Valley is back on the hype train with a Heisman-hopeful QB, stacked running backs, elite defense, portal kings — you name it. But you know how this movie ends. Spoiler alert: there’s one program that James Franklin still can’t crack, and Brad Crawford just called it out on national TV.

Let’s be real — Penn State fans are fed up with déjà vu. Every fall, it’s the same story: monster recruiting, sick roster, preseason hype through the roof… only for James Franklin to crash into reality like a fly on a windshield. Last season’s heartbreak? The clock was winding down in the Orange Bowl semifinal vs. Notre Dame, and Drew Allar threw the dagger that ended it all. Painful. But not new. It’s the latest chapter in a saga full of “almosts” and “should’ve-beens.”

Now, 2025 is supposed to be the year. Allar’s back and sitting comfortably in the top 4 of Heisman odds. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen? Still here. That RB duo combined for over 2,000 yards last season and ran through defenders like they owed them money. James Franklin, to his credit, went heavy in the portal, stacking weapons like he was prepping for a war. He snatched up Devonte Ross from Troy (1,000+ yards, 11 tuddies) and Trebor Pena from Syracuse (941 yards, 9 TDs)—straight fireworks on the outside.

But there’s still one cold, bitter truth hiding under all that glitter: James Franklin can’t beat ranked teams when it matters. That’s not fan slander — that’s math. His record vs. top 10 squads? 4–20. Top 5? 1–15. Ranked opponents overall? 12–26. Man’s basically allergic to elite competition. And there’s one team in particular that’s had him in a headlock for a decade straight: Ryan Day‘s ($12.5 million man) Ohio State.

Brad Crawford didn’t sugarcoat it either. On May 21st, during the 247Sports “Ultimate College Football” segment, he dropped this straight. “This is James Franklin’s most talented roster he’s had in Happy Valley… I think Penn State finishes 11-1, goes over 10.5 wins and gets back to the Big Ten Championship. The only game that is James Franklin’s kryptonite on this schedule that I see is at Ohio State.”

At Ohio State. That’s the boss-level Penn State can’t beat. It’s been like 9 years since Franklin pulled off that miracle win — the 2016 “Block Six” game. You remember it: blocked field goal, taken to the house, Happy Valley going full earthquake mode. Since then? 9 straight L’s to the Buckeyes. No miracles. No comebacks. Just beatdowns and bitter handshakes. In 2024, it was another top-5 showdown — and again, the Buckeyes handled business, 20–13, right on Franklin’s home turf. James Franklin is 1-10 against Ohio State.

And here’s the kicker — Penn State doesn’t even have to beat Ohio State to make the playoff. But emotionally? Culturally? Mentally? That one game still haunts the program like a ghost in the locker room. They could go 11-1 again, even make it to Indy, but everybody knows — until they beat that team or any ranked team. The Happy Valley will always hesitate.

James Franklin to hit a panic button?

Penn State might just be college football’s prettiest heartbreaker. Looks like a title contender. Plays like one… until November shows up. Every year, the talent’s there. Every year, the schedule gives them just enough cushion to believe. But when the lights get brightest, James Franklin’s teams either forget how to tackle or cough the ball up like it’s lava.

And now he’s staring down a 2025 schedule that includes road trips to Oregon and Ohio State — two top-10 squads that eat teams like Penn State for brunch. Both have elite defenses. Both have playoff aspirations. And both know exactly how to expose James Franklin’s weak spots: slow starts, sloppy in-game decisions, and a defense that might not be as airtight as advertised.

CBS Sports’ Bud Elliott pointed to the same defensive problem bubbling under the surface, even with the addition of former Ohio State DC Jim Knowles: “It’s hard to replace guy-after-guy. You lose Chop Robinson, all of a sudden, Abdul Carter is unblockable. Then you lose Carter, and now what? I think I see a little backslide for Penn State’s defense.”

He’s got a point. Penn State’s been running on elite defensive talent for years — Micah Parsons, then Chop Robinson, then Abdul Carter. Now? No one knows who steps up. The offense is finally ahead of the defense for once, and while that sounds fun on paper… that isn’t how Franklin wins football games. He’s always needed that lockdown D to carry his questionable play-calling through close games.

And don’t get it twisted — the offense will need to carry hard. The Oregon game is in Eugene, a place where Pac-12 dreams used to go to die. And Ohio State? They might not even have a confirmed starting QB yet, but that defense? Still monstrous. If Penn State can’t outshoot opponents, they’re cooked. No Micah Parsons is coming out of that tunnel this time. Somebody has to step up big time.

The thing is, Franklin’s been this close so many times that the fan base is on edge. They’ve got playoff PTSD. And if he goes 11-1 again — losing just to Ohio State — fans might start wondering if he’s ceilinged out. Imagine being that consistent, that talented… and still not being able to break the wall. It’s like trying to win Mario Kart with your controller unplugged.

So here we are. The roster’s loaded. They have one of the best-returning rosters in the nation. The playoff is right there for the taking. But there’s one scarlet and gray ghost still haunting Happy Valley, and it’s wearing Buckeye leaves on its helmet.