UNIVERSITY PARK— When Penn State loses a home game, fans get mad, and after Saturday’s 20-13 loss to Ohio State, a reporter asked coach James Franklin about that fan reaction.
Franklin exchanged words with an angry Penn State fan as he was leaving the field in a moment that was captured by camera and has already become viral.
James Franklin responded to heckling Penn State fans after the loss to Ohio State: “If you’re gonna be man enough to talk, what’s your name?” pic.twitter.com/kILxOn8UqU
— Seth Engle (@bigsengtweets) November 2, 2024
After the fan walked up the stairs and Franklin went through the tunnel— where more fans were waiting— Franklin had to address reporters in his postgame press conference.
Happy Valley isn’t too happy. pic.twitter.com/wXBUzIEEQl
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) November 2, 2024
He was then asked what his message would be to fans who have not sat through 12 losses to Ohio State in 13 seasons.
10 of those losses have been under Franklin’s watch, and the head coach took responsibility.
FRANKLIN’S MESSAGE TO FANS
“I understand their frustration,” Franklin said. “Guys in the locker room are just as frustrated, if not more. But college football has changed and we have an opportunity moving forward to write some wrongs from today, and that’s what we’re going to focus on. I get it. We get an unbelievable crowd here, we get unbelievable support, you don’t do that without passion, and there’s great things that come from that and there’s hard things that come from that. That’s part of the job. That’s part of the job, and I own it all. I own it all.”
HE’S RIGHT, COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS CHANGED
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Penn State Coach James Franklin and QB Drew Allar
The “changes” Franklin are referring to clearly reference how different college football is now than it was just a year ago. This, of course, is thanks to the College Football Playoff format increasing from four teams to 12. Penn State fans may not wanna hear it right this second but the team will be favored to win its next four games. If it does win the next four, it will finish 11-1 and be a sure bet to make the College Football Playoff and host a first-round game at Beaver Stadium.
The first of those four games is next Saturday against Washington at Beaver Stadium. That will kickoff at either 3:30 or 8 on CBS.
