Penn State Football: Can James Franklin Change the Narrative?

Penn State Football Head Coach James Franklin has struggled on the road. The Purdue game was different.

We all know about Penn State Football head coach James Franklin’s struggles in big games. While many won’t view Purdue as a “big” game, it was against a Purdue team that many have picked as a dark horse to win the Big Ten West.

James Franklin is 11-27 against ranked opponents and just 2-13 against teams ranked in the top ten. Purdue was not a ranked team, but they did receive votes in the preseason AP poll.

Now there were definitely some games in which Penn State was simply outmanned. There are also plenty of instances in which James Franklins’ decisions directly led to a loss. Franklins’ bad clock management and in-game adjustments are often rightly criticized.

James Franklin may have started to change that narrative.

Whether you want to believe it or not, this game was as difficult as the Wisconsin game to open the season last year. Last season’s opener was a defensive battle, while the Purdue game featured more competent offenses.

Penn State went into an environment that has swallowed highly ranked Ohio State and Michigan State teams. James Franklin was able to navigate a “blackout” setting that featured seven lead changes. The game had as many ebbs and flows as a game can have.

James Franklin and the Nittany Lions stayed aggressive throughout the game. Often times we see Franklin get super conservative with leads and mismanage the clock while trailing.