College football fans pile on Penn State after another heartbreaking loss

Penn State fired James Franklin because he couldn’t win the big games. Franklin was 4-21 against top-five opponents through his 11-plus years in Happy Valley, and since his dismissal, the Nittany Lions have lost two more, falling to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus last week and No. 2 Indiana on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. 

Last week, the interim head coach Terry Smith-led Nittany Lions trailed by just three at halftime to the Buckeyes before allowing 21 unanswered points in the second half. In Week 11, Penn State threw an even bigger punch against the Hoosiers, but still couldn’t land the knockout. 

Penn State took a 24-20 lead with 6:27 left in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard Nicholas Singleton touchdown catch and run. The defense followed that score up with a three-and-out, but the Nittany Lions gave the ball back to Heisman Trophy candidate Fernando Mendoza with 1:51 left and no timeouts, and that was far too much time.  

After a seven-yard sack on the first play of the drive, Mendoza marched the Hoosiers 87 yards for a touchdown on nine plays to take a 27-24 lead with 36 seconds left. Penn State is now 3-6 overall, 0-6 in Big Ten play, and has yet to record a win over a Power 4 opponent. 

Penn State fan’s misery continues with loss to Indiana

College football fans on social media were quick to pile on the Nittany Lions for an embarrassing loss. Since firing Franklin, Smith has blown two fourth-quarter leads. In his first game as interim head coach and Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first start at quarterback, Penn State gave up a two-play 75-yard touchdown drive to Iowa in the fourth quarter, allowing the Hawkeyes to pull ahead 25-24. 

Others, rather than pile on the Nittany Lions, found some sympathy in their cold college football hearts. That’s how brutal the Penn State season has been. A double overtime loss to Oregon, a blown fourth quarter lead to Northwestern in Franklin’s final game, the blown leads to Iowa and Indiana, and yet another loss to Ohio State. 

With six losses already, Penn State, the preseason No. 2 team with national championship apsirations, has to win out just to qualify for a bowl game. Next week, the Nittany Lions will head to East Lansing to play Michigan State, before closing out the year with Nebraska and Rutgers.