James Franklin asked Penn State fans to “take a deep breath” and trust the process after a 49-10 loss to Michigan on Sept. 24. For rabid fans seeking a return to glory, watching the 10th-highest paid coach in college football lose by 39 points in his third year was difficult to swallow. Franklin was never in any danger of losing his job. Given the NCAA penalties and negativity surrounding the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, Franklin won as many games in his first two years as could be reasonably expected. Still, the noise about his job status persisted in some media reports. Twice during the two weeks after the Michigan loss, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour emphatically supported Franklin publicly, saying “there’s no doubt” he will be the Nittany Lions’ coach for the long term. Franklin said Thursday that Barbour’s comments were so strong they helped the Nittany Lions upset No. 2 Ohio State last week. The shocking result, aided by a blocked field goal and blocked punt, was a signature win for Franklin and finally gave Penn State fans something good to feel about. Suddenly, it’s possible to envision Penn State winning nine or 10 games given its…
Continue Reading: James Franklin details one surprising key to Penn State's upset of Ohio State
