Penn State football has been thrust into the national spotlight following a humiliating loss to UCLA, which came on the heels of an already heartbreaking loss to Oregon the week prior.
With this shattered fan base in Happy Valley, some called for a new approach on the field, some even asking for a change at the helm.
Yet, while this is still only a debate among fans, it allowed the Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) to recognize that some changes are needed on the gridiron to help remedy this slow start immediately.
One area that clearly left room for improvement is the backfield, where results are slow for star running back Nicholas Singleton. The blue and white now fall in the middle of the pack in Big Ten rushing figures.
Despite this unexpected start for Singleton, other senior rusher Kaytron Allen starred with a team high 377 yards and six touchdowns. Allen’s carry total has yet to surpass that of Singleton's in 2025, but his performance proves that he should takeover that No. 1 spot in the backfield. So far, Allen has 57 rushing attempts whereas Singleton carried 63 times so far.
This strong start earned the praise and recognition of head coach James Franklin at the start of his Monday press conference with questions of the backfield surfacing.
"I don't think there's any doubt that [Allen's] having a good year and has been very productive," Franklin said.
Despite Franklin's admission, the trend of Allen's rushing attempt total being limited continued affecting the Nittany Lions negatively against the Bruins. Singleton continues struggling and him getting more snaps isn't changing anything at this point in the season.
In the upset, Singleton tallied 11 touches for 39 yards while Allen rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries.
This led to questioning of how the Penn State coaching staff arrives at such decisions, despite these differences in production.
"We discuss rotation as a staff every single week," Franklin said. "That's part of the coordinator's plan, that's part of the position coach's plan ... for us, we're tracking touches more than we're tracking plays."
Against UCLA, Singleton tallied 37 total offensive snaps while Allen had 22.
"Those guys are rotating essentially by series," Franklin said. "... Obviously, that was a discussion after the game, but it was also a discussion before the game, that we need to get [Allen] more touches and more carries."
Despite Franklin's claims, there hasn't been the same sentiment on the field, as he continues showing an unwavering commitment to splitting the touches between the two running backs. He may soon have to reconsider given Allen's more favorable results.
While Franklin gave little indication that he looks to switch up the ground game, he must. His loyalty to continue without a productive No. 1 rusher is harming the team.
Penn State coaching consistently chose to keep Allen off the field, despite him being the top-performing running back this season for the Nittany Lions. If Franklin aims to regain support amid intense fan tension, he needs to come to the decision that Allen must play more while Singleton works to find his footing.
Suppose Franklin cannot make the necessary decision and sacrifice for the offense to help it win games.
In that case, the fan criticisms are justified, and he is hurting Singleton's own NFL chances by continuing to force touches for the running back on top of it all. If Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki adjust the snap counts and create new momentum through designed play calls, everyone, including Singleton's long-term career, benefits.
No matter how Penn State progresses, it’s clear that narratives and distractions continue building around a season that was expected to accomplish much more months ago.