James Franklin has done good things at Penn State. He’s shepherded the Nittany Lions through the aftereffects of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and he’s signed strong recruiting classes despite rivals trying to use someone else’s wrongs against him. Franklin hasn’t lost many clunkers. Falling to Illinois in 2014 wasn’t great, nor was Temple in 2015. But there haven’t been colossal failures against cupcakes. The thing Franklin hasn’t done is beat a team that finished ranked — even going back to his time at Vanderbilt — let alone any of the elite programs at the top of his own Big Ten East. He’s never beaten a Power 5 team that finished with nine or more wins, according to ESPN’s Chris Fallica. Franklin’s first two years brought a combined 0-6 record against Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State. The Lions were blown out in Ann Arbor this fall. Michigan State’s swift downfall means Franklin’s home game against the No. 2 Buckeyes on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) represents his last shot of the year to beat someone great. A loss would mean 0-8 over three years against the division’s best, plus a 4-3 2016 record heading into a home stretch whose best…
Continue Reading: Ohio State is James Franklin’s last chance in 2016 to get his 1st-ever signature win
