Penn State Football’s top 10 wins of the James Franklin era

No. 4 – 2016 vs Minnesota

This one might come as a surprise to some people, but without this game, the 2016 season does not go the way that it did, and without the 2016 run to the Big Ten Championship, who knows where this program would be right now.

Just one week removed from a humiliating loss on the road against Michigan, and sitting at just 2-2 on the young season, James Franklin’s seat was getting hot. With the way the game started, it looked to be getting even hotter.

Trailing 13-3 at halftime, the narrative of the “second half team” was born as the Nittany Lions scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter. With 54 second remaining in regulation, the Golden Gophers took the lead on a field goal.

The Nittany Lions then drove down the field, highlighted by a long run by Trace McSorley, and Tyler Davis tied the game with a field goal with just two second remaining.

Minnesota got the ball to start overtime, and were forced to settle for a field goal. Then, on the first play of Penn State’s possession, Saquon Barkley did what he does, and evaded would-be tacklers on his was to a 25 yard walk off touchdown.

Had the Nittany Lions not rallied to win that game, the season may have spiraled downhill, and not having that Big Ten Championship would have made it tougher for Franklin to bring in high level recruits. If not for this game, James Franklin may not currently be the head coach of Penn State Football, and many of the other games on this list would have never happened.