Penn State fans brought the noise in White Out despite an overtime loss

James Franklin predicted an intense White Out atmosphere for now No. 7 Penn State's contest against No. 2 Oregon, a must-win game for the blue and white. Still, even though the fans bringing the energy and noise, it didn't propel the Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) to a victory, as they fell in overtime.

Franklin's unit fought hard until the last minute, yet the result of the game left a bad taste in fans' mouths, as Penn State failed again to take down a high-caliber opponent. The crowd brought a passion that showed why they are the best fandom in the nation nonetheless.

With that result, Penn State fans also showed moments of disdain for the product on the field, as there were sporadic "Fire Franklin" chants roaring through Beaver Stadium when the Nittany Lions fell behind in the third quarter.

Penn State eventually pulled even and forced overtime, but the inability to finish the job is what mattered to the crowd. This vocal moment displayed a growing sentiment among students, fans, and alumni whose doubt in Franklin's leadership grows, noting his disappointing record against ranked opponents.

This chant from fans is a moment of backfire for Franklin as he called for this passionate group. However, it doesn't mean the fans let him down when it mattered.

The student section helped force an early missed field goal, and attendance at Beaver Stadium nearly reached the all-time high, with just over 110,000 fans in attendance at the "Greatest Show in College Football." There was all the energy needed for a marquee win.

Although Beaver Stadium was energetic and fans appeared to fulfill their part of the deal by cheering on every critical down as the clock ticked further into the night, those still there had to leave heartbroken. The 12th man showed up, but the same can't be said about the quarterback.

Once again, a late Drew Allar interception ended what was an instant classic in Happy Valley.

Some Penn State fans came to Franklin's side as well, indicating that opinions on the head coach are still split at the moment.

He later reconciled with fans in his postgame press conference, where he acknowledged the scope and size of this loss, but also praised the fans for creating a great environment.

"When we win, there’s nothing better. When we lose, there’s nothing worse … I get it, I get the frustration," Franklin said. "That comes with a fanbase that is invested and cares."

When the atmosphere at the stadium seemed intense, the Ducks navigated the hostile energy, embracing the new villain role thrust upon them.

This was apparent late in the game, after the game-sealing interception, several Oregon players were running to the Penn State student section to taunt the crowd, which brought them so much difficulty throughout the night.

Despite the players' moment to celebrate, seemingly indicating that they heard the noise and wanted to send a message back, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning downplayed the role of the atmosphere at Beaver Stadium.

While these claims seem unlikely and may be merely mental warfare, the Ducks opted to start facing away from the student section to avoid the noise after winning the coin toss in overtime.

Lanning continues the mind games against Penn State in many ways, continuing his comments on social media.


As for Penn State, it will have to find a way to rebound as it travels out west for a contest against a struggling UCLA team. It is the Nittany Lions' first game on the road and there should be no questions as to if they can finish business and come back with a Big Ten win.

It allows the blue and white to gain much-needed momentum, but also enables Franklin to regain widespread fan support as Penn State prepares for another ranked conference matchup in Columbus later this season against Ohio State.

While the team's on-field performance showed flashes of competing against the top teams in the country, the Nittany Lions need to trust their talent and employ more aggressive play calling to match the intensity of those in the stands.