Carpe Diem, Penn State

The Lions have the players, staff and scars of history to beat Ohio State. Can they?

What do you remember most about this Penn State football season so far? That the Lions won a revenge game against Iowa? That quarterback Drew Allar threw a 72-yard touchdown pass on his second attempt of the season? That some people thought James Franklin insulted Michigan or Northwestern?

Penn State’s 6-0 start has been notable for its stark lack of drama. That changes Saturday, when the Lions visit Ohio State. If it doesn’t change, that means Penn State either has 1) joined college football’s elite or 2) Charlie Browned again. In year 10 at Penn State, Franklin is looking for win No. 2 against Ohio State. As a result, this game has been positioned as referendum of Franklin and his ascent into that elite level. Franklin certainly didn’t disavow that notion this week when he said that Penn State has “closed the gap” on the top 5.

He's right. But as Franklin also has said (often, actually), the last hurdle is the most difficult to clear. Penn State has been on that track for seven years. Franklin has spent a painstaking amount of energy and time modernizing Penn State football: more than doubling its staff size, expanding and updating its headquarters, championing NIL efforts and brokering relationships with the university’s change agents.

In February, Franklin and four players, quarterback Drew Allar among them, brought the Rose Bowl trophy to a Board of Trustees meeting and invited them to visit the Lasch Football Building. Franklin also leaned straight into the expectations for 2023.

"I want to be back here next year addressing you guys about our season as well," Franklin said. "But I would also challenge you as well as those [players] over there, we're fifth in the country, but there's two schools in our own side of the conference that are also ranked in the top 5 [in a preseason ranking]. So we've got a tremendous challenge, which is something that we embrace."

Franklin’s decision to bring up Ohio State and Michigan, without mentioning them by name, was deliberate. He continues to chase them. Penn State’s 2023 schedule has centered squarely on two dates: Saturday at Ohio Stadium and Nov. 11 against Michigan at Beaver Stadium. And that’s not just among fans; Franklin certainly feels the weight of expectation even as he embraces it. Which makes this game so fascinating.

This is the deepest into a season that Franklin's Penn State teams have gone without facing a real stress test. The 2016 team needed two losses and a manic overtime win against Minnesota to callus up before beating Ohio State. The 2017 team beat Iowa on a walk-off touchdown. The 2018 team went to overtime against Appalachian State in the opener, and the 2019 team won three one-possession games in its 8-0 start. Heck, last year’s team needed a frantic 2-minute drive to beat Purdue in the opener.

These Lions? They rank second in the nation in average margin of victory (32.4 points). They haven’t trailed at any point of any second half. They have outscored opponents 87-0 in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula has played in all six games. And the biggest injury question heading to Ohio State involved starting left guard JB Nelson, whom Franklin expects to play Saturday.

In fact, Franklin has created most of the team’s drama – and done so off the field. Franklin’s Iowa pregame PowerPoint included clips of a Hawkeyes assistant feigning an injury flop in the 2021 meeting, which prompted defensive end Chop Robinson to celebrate a sack-fumble with a flop. Did Franklin really insult Northwestern’s gameday atmosphere? (Not really). Did he insult Michigan’s non-conference schedule? (Actually he complimented it). Did he overreact to a question about Penn State’s lack of explosive pass plays? (Yes, but it was funny).

Penn State has faced extraordinarily little on-field drama this season, unless you count being late for class at Northwestern before outscoring the Wildcats 31-3 in the second half. No one has tested Penn State, really shaken its foundation yet. And no one knows how the Lions will respond when that happens. Which it certainly will Saturday.

Penn State has the players, the staff, the tools and the scars of history to beat Ohio State. Franklin and his team have been building toward this moment since the Rose Bowl. They set a slow-burn tone to the season's first half. Now we'll see if the Lions can unleash their full potential.

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AllPennState 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 Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.