A Larger Playoff Would Have Changed Penn State 'Dramatically,' James Franklin Says

Franklin tells FOX's Joel Klatt that the expanding College Football Playoff will benefit Nittany Lions.

Penn State head football coach James Franklin answers a question during a press conference in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville/USA Today Network - PA /

Penn State would have made a 12-team College Football Playoff six times over the last eight seasons, had such a system been in place. How might have that changed the perception surrounding Penn State football?

"Dramatically," Penn State coach James Franklin said.

Appearing on the latest edition of the "Joel Klatt Show," Franklin said the 12-team playoff, which takes effect this season, will be good for both college football and Penn State. Had the 12-team playoff been in effect since 2016, Penn State would have made the field six times. The Nittany Lions would have participated in playoff fields from 2016-19, including as the No. 4 seed in 2016, and also in the 2022-23 seasons.

"Let’s be honest, dramatically," Franklin said when asked about how the perception of the program might have changed, "because [for] programs like Penn State, and however many there are out there, the playoffs made things even more challenging because now the definition has shifted. It was playoffs or bust, which also makes some of those games challenging when literally your players are being told by the fans and the media that, 'You have one loss, the season is almost over in some ways.' So I think it’s really, long term, going to be good for college football. I know it’s going to be good for Penn State and I also think it’s going to create some fantastic matchups in the playoffs."

Franklin also discussed anticipation for the 2024 season, during which the 2022 recruiting class will become Penn State's headliners. The class, which ranked eighth nationally in the 247Sports Composite, generated a significant list of true freshmen contributors. Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen became starters, as did left tackle Drew Shelton late in the season. Quarterback Drew Allar earned the No. 2 spot and played in 10 games, while then-linebacker Abdul Carter led the team in sacks and was second in tackles for loss.

This season at least eight players from the 2022 class are considered NFL Draft prospects. The list also includes safety KJ Winston, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant.

"When these guys were freshmen, we’re like, 'This has been an impressive class when they showed up on campus,'" Franklin told Klatt for the Big Noon Conversations series. "A lot of times you think guys are going to play as freshmen, but they aren’t really able to do it. These guys all did, and not just play but they made splash plays. They made game-changing type plays. So we felt like in two years, we would have a chance to make a run at this thing.

"Things continue to evolve. Obviously you’d prefer not to have the coaching turnover that we had, but that’s the nature of college football now. We’re excited. We need to have a great training camp, but we’re excited about the opportunity."

Penn State opens the 2024 season at West Virginia on Aug. 31. Klatt will be there for the broadcast, scheduled for a Big Noon kickoff on FOX. Check out Klatt's entire interview with Franklin here.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.