It's been a long two months, and yet, Penn State University sits right where it was when the two-month period began.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
After making the College Football Semifinals last season (and only losing by three points), Penn State football was supposed to be on the come up, not the downswing.
What a difference a season makes.
Before the season even started, the Nittany Lions were awarded the highest of praise. ESPN had elevated them to the top spot in college football.
“After finally turning the corner under coach James Franklin in 2024, the Nittany Lions look loaded for this coming season. With Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton returning, Penn State should have one of the most balanced offenses in the FBS, especially if Allar takes the next step as a downfield passer.”
Update?
Well, the first three games seemed like peaches and cream. Penn State didn’t have to face hard talent, but a 3-0 start to the season is always something you want as a program.
Then came Oregon.
The Ducks visited Happy Valley in Week 4 in what was hyped up to be the most anticipated game of the season.
ESPN’s College Gameday visited, coach James Franklin was seen pumping up the crowd and joking with Nick Saban. But little did the Nittany faithful know, that that day was the beginning of the end.
Penn State fell in the fourth quarter by the score of 17-3, but then came back to force the game into overtime.
Inevitably, though, Dante Moore and Gary Bryant put a dagger into the foundation that Franklin spent 15 years building. Because afterwards, the Lions fell to UCLA and then Northwestern.
Then the face of the program, quarterback Drew Allar got hurt for the season.
That’s when Athletic Director Pat Kraft had enough, and fired Franklin.
It was a catastrophic move, especially after Franklin having the best season he’s ever had at the helm, but regardless, it opened the door for an enticing opportunity for coaches nationwide.
It was seen as one of the more desirable positions in the game, which is why Kraft had his eyes set on the big guns. He wanted Curt Cignetti from Indiana. But the Hoosiers acted quickly and re-signed him to a lucrative extension.
How about Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, a former Penn State alum? Negative. He signed a two-year extension.
It got to the point where insane names were getting thrown out from Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, and now Tennessee’s Josh Heupel.
Penn State requested an interview with Heupel a few days ago, and when he was asked about potential interest in the position, Heupel had a damning statement on the future of Penn State football.
“I wouldn’t want low expectations. That’s part of why I want to be here (in Tennessee),” Heupel told On3. “We’ll win big.”
The term “low expectations” for a program that went deep into the College Football Playoffs is… something.
And it forces Kraft to look in the mirror and truly figure out where he wants this program to go.
Because for Penn State, low expectations is nowhere near what the fans have, and it didn’t seem to be what Kraft had either.
If anything, this is a terrible indictment on what the Penn State position has become. From a heavily sought after position, to a position where the future looks grim.
It’s been almost two months to the day that Franklin was fired, and there’s still no permanent coach, while Franklin has already taken a job at Virginia Tech and flipped Penn State commits.
Did Kraft overthink this? Because from the looks of it, “low expectations” may be the only thing left for this program.