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Ranking all eight of James Franklin’s teams at Penn State

By Nick Kreiser

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions leads his team onto the field before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions leads his team onto the field before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 31: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions jumps over defenders V’Angelo Bentley #2, Taylor Barton #3 and Eaton Spence #27 of the Illinois Fighting Illini for a 7 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter during the game on October 31, 2015 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA – OCTOBER 31: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions jumps over defenders V’Angelo Bentley #2, Taylor Barton #3 and Eaton Spence #27 of the Illinois Fighting Illini for a 7 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter during the game on October 31, 2015 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

8. 2015 (7-6)

Regular season record: 7-5

Conference record: 4-4

Postseason: lost 24-17 to Georgia in the Taxslayer Bowl

Point differential: +17

Points per game: 23.2

Points allowed per game: 21.8

The 2015 Penn State Football team actually got off to a relatively similar start to last year’s. They didn’t start undefeated, rather they fell to Temple in week one at Lincoln Financial Field. However, they then won five in a row and were in a good spot before the season quickly spiraled out of control.

Though the back half of their schedule was loaded with teams such as the defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as a Michigan State team that would go on to win the Big Ten that season, the Nittany Lions lost five of their final seven games.

This squad had the worst point differential and averaged the second fewest points per game of the James Franklin era.

A freshman phenom in Saquon Barkley was the bright spot of the offense, and Carl Nassib’s All-American campaign led an excellent defensive line, but outside of that, there is not much to write home about in terms of the 2015 Nittany Lions.

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