Penn State Football, Drew Allar Penn State’s bid to notch a top-10 victory over Oregon were undone by a crushing Drew Allar interception. (Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images)

James Franklin, Penn State Butt Up Against Ceiling in Heartbreaking Oregon Loss

Originally posted on Nittany Central | By Ethan Johnson | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 1:31 PM ET

With another crushing defeat at the hands of the No. 6 Oregon Ducks, it’s fair to wonder how far the Nittany Lions can really go under the direction of James Franklin.

Despite success in the AP rankings, win percentage, and even conference standings, this Franklin-led Penn State team can’t get over the hump. They crumble in big moments.

One number tells the story more than any other; 4-21. That’s Franklin’s record against AP Top 10 opponents. Franklin is now 1-15 is his record against Top 5 opponents.

Even in the College Football Playoff last year, Penn State beat two G5 teams in SMU and Boise State before succumbing to a P4 opponent. In a semifinal loss to Notre Dame, that also ended on a Drew Allar interception.

At the beginning of this season, Penn State looked like a heavy favorite to compete for the national championship.

Many of the stars that brought Penn State deep into the playoffs were returning and it was looking promising. While it may be too early to say that that’s off the table, this loss at home against Oregon showed much of the same old.

Penn State Football, James Franklin James Franklin surpassed Rip Engle as the second-winningest head coach in Penn State Football history after the NIttany Lions throttled Villanova. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images)

We are all tired of hearing the “Franklin can’t win big games” talk, but we are even more tired of Franklin actually not winning big games.

I’m a big believer in the philosophy that a good coach that can’t quite get over the hump is worse than a bad coach and James Franklin certainly falls into the first category.

This article first appeared on Nittany Central and was syndicated with permission.

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