Penn State’s James Franklin drops 10-word tribute in painful Notre Dame loss

Penn State stepped under the lights, desperate to beat Notre Dame and advance to the national championship. Semi-final performance in College Football Playoff he didn’t justify his past high-stakes failures. Put simply, Thursday night’s Orange Bowl was a game that defined the program and was the head coach James Franklin headed to the locker room with another heartbreaking loss on his resume.

He was forced to complete a familiar routine – address the media after losing to a top-five opponent. Franklin wasn’t alone, as running back Nick Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar fielded questions from reporters while also processing the end of their season. The former rushed for three touchdowns and accumulated more than 100 yards from scrimmage. The latter struggled mightily, throwing for just 135 yards and an offense game sealing interception with just over 30 seconds left in regulation.

Franklin didn’t point the finger, though. He praised both players after losing 27-24. “I couldn’t be more proud of these two young men,” the 11-year-old Nittany Lions HC said, per Audrey Snyder of The Athletic.

The comments section bombards Allar with ridicule, but Franklin offers some praise. However, he does not mean only the performance of the young KB, because from the point of view of execution, admittedly, there is little to celebrate. No, Franklin supposedly praises Alar’s character and perseverance.

James Franklin shows Drew Allar some love during a quiet moment

The 20-year-old from Medina, Ohio, didn’t get the chance tonight, but he clearly has the respect of his coach. Allar took a big leap as a passer this season, and even though he struggled down the stretch, he gave Penn State fans hope that a national title could finally be a realistic goal.

In the end, however, the program was stuck in the same spot it occupied for most of the James Franklin era. The Lions are a really good, but not great team going up against higher level competition. There are many responsibilities. Alar made crucial mistakes, the wide receivers were astonishingly quiet and the defense stumbled in the second half.

The game-changing interception will overshadow everything else because of when it happened, but cornerback Cam Miller slipped in Jaden Greathouse’s 54-yard game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Penn State football as a group, including much indignant Franklinhe didn’t do it at Hard Rock Stadium.

When the CFP began, the consensus was that this team had a very fair path to the semifinals and a potential shot at the title. Based on how the carrier shook out, it’s hard for fans to enjoy the whole experience. Franklin, on the other hand, goes out of his way to highlight some of the positives that will come down the road in 2024-25.

However, his pride must translate into tangible results. Ideally, Drew Allar and the rest of the Nittany Lions will learn quickly from this harrowing loss and channel the pain into a stunning story of redemption. One thing’s for sure, University Park is desperate for the site to include this ongoing Penn State football narrative.