James Franklin vs. The Fringe

Franklin's Fury

This isn’t the first time Franklin has engaged the fans in this sort of matter. After being down 12 in the fourth quarter in 2018, Ohio State completed a comeback shocking Penn State in consecutive years. The fans' rage elicited a response from Franklin:

The next major dust up involved Franklin by proximity after Penn State grounded Michigan’s air attack, but the Nittany Lions' aerial attack was grounded as well as they could only muster 74 yards against the Wolverines. After watching their College Football Playoff aspirations get extinguished, the friendly tunnel wasn’t so kind to Franklin.

The fever pitch came last season, once again against Ohio State. Penn State seemingly had an opportunity to tie the game with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter after tight end Tyler Warren got the ball to the Ohio State 3-yard line.

Penn State wasn’t able to cash in on four opportunities deep in Buckeyes' territory and Ohio State killed the final 5:13 leaving Nittany Lions' fans in a fury like the 2018 game. Fans couldn't help but think of the play call that involved a zone read to Miles Sanders in 2018 that Ohio State read when in 2024, Penn State again had four opportunities in close that did not involve their best offensive weapon.

Penn State's 'Fringe Element'

I am going to invoke Iverson here as this encounter should not have happened on both sides. This is practice, Penn State will win and lose in the Spring Game.

Franklin has to be better than this. If he cannot self actualize and demonstrate a little humility, this is an issue. Franklin has to look at his family and his bank account, but more importantly he gets paid nearly eight figures a year to coach football. Franklin, in these momentary lapses, loses sight. He is the guiding light for his program. This is a teaching moment for Franklin to display to his team how he can grow and be better.

An adage I like to use with fans is "fan is short for fanatic.”

Some fanaticism is controlled, some isn’t and the latter needs to be checked. These folks apply to Kirk Herbstreit's "lunatic fringe" rant during Ohio State's first round CFP win against Tennessee.

For starters, it is a Spring Game. There is nothing really won or lost. It is an appetizer to get you through the summer. 

Penn State’s big game woes under Franklin are well documented. But fans need to have perspective. In Penn State’s final four games of 2024, the Nittany Lions played in major games and Franklin led them to victory in two of them and had his team within striking distance in the two losses.

The 2024 team set a record for most single season wins (13) in program history. Looking at Franklin’s track record, he has guided Penn State to 10 or more wins in six of the past nine years. In comparison, Joe Paterno won 10 or more games only eight times in his final 25 seasons.

It isn’t a lock replacing Franklin would mean an instant upgrade. For every Georgia (going from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart), you have had disasters like Nebraska, Miami and Tennessee to name a few that did not work.

You could argue USC upgraded when they hired Lincoln Riley. Currently Clay Helton has outpaced Riley with many wondering if Riley’s brand of football translates to the Big Ten. The fanatics around Troy are experiencing some buyers remorse.

Time to Relax

Both sides need to relax. This is ugly for both sides. For the great expectations that lay ahead for Penn State, Franklin has to be the cooler in these situations. Franklin is a purveyor of an excellent culture and the importance of a collegiate experience at Penn State, but so goes a leader, so goes a culture. What stops a player from engaging a fan in the same matter? It's a situation where no one wins.

Unfortunately, fans have to govern themselves accordingly. With everyone having different standards, it won’t be the first nor last of ignorant behavior. It doesn’t excuse the behavior. But the question is why would you as a fan or supporter want to bring out the worst of your most visible figure, especially during practice?