Here’s how James Franklin gets Penn State Football back into CFP Conversation

Winning culture

Culture is used to describe both successful and unsuccessful programs.

A successful culture usually includes competition and a focus on the details. For James Franklin, building a championship culture is a topic he has talked about several times.

"“It’s all the details. It’s all the little things. It is finding a way to overcome adversity consistently. It’s going to class consistently. It’s getting to meetings on time. It’s having your phone turned off during meetings. It’s not settling for a B in a class when you could have gotten an A. It’s taking notes in every single meeting. Every. Single. Meeting. Not because the coaches told you to, but because you want to be great. It’s the coaches making sure that is the standard. We don’t settle. We don’t make excuses. We don’t allow it to happen.”- Head Coach James Franklin"

The culture is very similar to what Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney have built. It’s all about preparation and accountability. The only thing missing at Penn State is the consistent winning.

James Franklin is a “players coach,” that is his style. That’s the reason his players always have his back.

When you look at the culture at Penn State, it doesn’t look like the reason they aren’t making the College Football Playoff. At some point, if you’re not winning, something has to change. With the nature of college football, your roster turns over every year. Some teams are going to “buy-in” more than others. James Franklin has to get that “buy-in” every season to get to the College Football Playoff.