STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- For three seasons now, James Franklin has seesawed between extremes – from fans calling for his head to others championing him as the program’s savior. Sometimes all in the same day.
Against Pitt, in the second quarter, numerous former players expressed their frustration over Penn State’s “embarrassing” three-TD deficit – then praised the team for a gutsy rally that fell one pass short of a comeback. Against Minnesota, some student fans started “Fire Franklin!” chants before halftime, only to see Franklin’s Nittany Lions nearly double their offensive-yards-per-play in the second half and finish with an emotional overtime win.