CFP: Can Penn State coach James Franklin win the big one?

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There's no sugarcoating it: As Penn State's coach, James Franklin owns an abysmal 4-19 record against opponents ranked in the Associated Press top 10 -- and is just 3-10 in such games when his team is also in the top 10.

It's a mark that saw a small but significant boost with Penn State's resounding 31-14 College Football Playoff quarterfinal win against No. 8-ranked Boise State in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl, but with each step forward in the CFP bracket comes a greater opportunity -- and louder doubters about Franklin's ability to beat the best.

As the Big Ten runner-up and No. 6 seed in the College Football Playoff, the narrative surrounding Penn State was that they had…