Penn State's Orange Bowl Loss Adds to James Franklin's Bleak Resume Against Top Teams

The Nittany Lions coach's most successful season yet was cut short Thursday.

James Franklin before No. 5 Penn State's 27–24 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Penn State fans are undoubtedly tired of the narrative that coach James Franklin is incapable of pulling through on the sport's biggest stages. Here, unfortunately for Nittany Lions backers, is another story dissecting that narrative.

It's true that Franklin won some landmark games this season. Penn State shelled SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and put together a fantastic team effort in its Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State.

However, the Mustangs and Broncos were ranked No. 12 and No. 8 in the AP poll, respectively. That exempts them from the following cherry-picked-yet-highly-telling statistic: Franklin is now 1-15—1-15!—against teams ranked in the AP top five with the Nittany Lions.

James Franklin now 1-15 vs. AP top 5 opponents as the head coach at Penn State

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) January 10, 2025

Their one win came back in 2016, when they sprung an upset of No. 2 Ohio State at home. Penn State's big-game blues continued Thursday, when the No. 5 team in the country lost 27–24 to No. 3 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.

Franklin clearly has the Nittany Lions in as good a place as they've been in for decades; the last time they posted three straight seasons with a winning percentage north of .700 was 1993 to '99. However, even acknowledging its success this year and the elasticity of what constitutes a "big game," getting over the metaphorical hump remains elusive for Penn State.

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