Penn State's showdown vs. Oregon a chance for James Franklin to change the narrative

The No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin will face a strong test against the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night. A matchup of this caliber between two top-10 teams will see Penn State unveil its iconic White Out atmosphere, one of the most electrifying traditions in college football. The real question now — how much pressure falls on Franklin? 

James Franklin has infamously struggled against top competition

Franklin has been at the helm since 2014. Under his leadership, Franklin is 101-42 and led the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten title in 2016. However, whenever Franklin's team is lined up against ranked opponents, the 53-year-old's record is underwhelming. Franklin's Nittany Lions are 4-20 against top-10 opponents and 1-15 against top-five teams.

The reality is, Penn State hasn't beaten Big Ten rivals Ohio State since 2016 or Michigan since 2020 — both have been perennial national powerhouses. Now, Penn State is up against another Big Ten juggernaut in Dan Lanning's Ducks led by transfer quarterback Dante Moore. 

Penn State's struggles have consistently come against elite opponents, a narrative that has followed Franklin since his arrival. A win against Oregon on Saturday will help put the narrative to rest for the time being. 

Penn State snagged former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles soon after he aided the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship last season. Knowles is the highest-paid coordinator in the country, and his first real test will be against a high-powered Ducks offense. 

Oregon currently ranks seventh in scoring offense (50.8 PPG) and 10th in rushing offense (255.2 YPG). Moore ranks fifth in passing efficiency (195.90) and is tied for sixth in total passing touchdowns (11).

Fortunately for Franklin, the Nittany Lions were able to retain key players from last season such as QB Drew Allar, RB Nick Singleton, RB Kaytron Allen, DT Zane Durant and DE Dani Dennis-Sutton. They were prime pieces to a squad that made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals a year ago.

James Franklin comments on the showdown against Oregon 

Franklin expressed his thoughts about Saturday's highly anticipated clash during a Penn State media session. 

"When you have two programs that have had the success that we've had the last couple of years — the way these programs are built and the way these programs are supported — the level of support we get from the community and the stadium, I expect this to be a four quarter battle," Franklin said.