UNIVERSITY PARK – Chaos has been delivered at nearly every corner throughout this college football season and in all types of different ways but Penn State has managed to stay consistent through it all.
James Franklin and his team have remained consistent and forthright in their processes and it’s paid off. One reward is a trip to Indianapolis to face Oregon for the Big Ten Championship next weekend.
That process can be boring. Itโs seen in the 1-0’s throughout the field including a large sign with it emblazoned on which is the last thing players see before they enter the field. It’s seen in the Unrivaled slogan that has been a program staple since Franklin arrived on campus.
While teams like Ohio State were getting beat by their rivals Saturday, Penn State was walloping a team in Maryland who has long dreamt of being a rival to PSU
“We found a way to get another win,” Franklin said after the game. “If you study college football, not just Penn State, if you study college football, it’s hard to win consistently. And the fact that our guys were able to find a way to win 11 times this season during the regular season, I’m proud of them.”
JUST WIN, BABY
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: James Franklin
Penn State won 11 games, the lone loss a 7-point defeat to a team they consistently lose to, Ohio State. They did so in ways that were as pretty as the 44-7 game at Beaver Stadium or as gritty as the one-point win at Minnesota or even the three-point win in overtime over USC.
The results were the same: wins. That’s what remains atop the importance column. It’s what has made this college football season as chaotic as ever. It’s kept them atop the national rankings despite a setback against the Buckeyes.
That process and consistency is why many Penn State players found out about the game from the post-game graphic rather than their phones prior to the game. It’s also why Franklin kept that information to himself and his staff after he found out.
Jaylen Reed realizing Penn State is heading to Indy pic.twitter.com/dqxAHKvJUC
— Lexie Linderman (@lexieleigh28) November 30, 2024
“We knew, but I didn’t say anything to the team,” Franklin said. “Actually, I did the opposite. I said, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland. Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, because I think a lot of people were aware of it, and I was trying to keep us focused.”
EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: James Franklin
Focus can easily be lost when focusing on goals and objectives rather than what gets you to a certain moment. And at times it can be mind-numbingly mundane, but the process results in those goals and objectives being reached while other teams are struggling mightily to win games they’re supposed to win handily.
For that reason, Penn State is heading to Indianapolis.
“Especially with the expansion of these conferences, This is the most competitive Big Ten there’s ever been,” Franklin said. ย โAnd to have your team ready to play week in and week out, it is very, very difficult to do, and it doesn’t happen very often. And you look around college football, you watch the highlights, it’s not happening. So this team finding a ton of different ways to win, blowouts, comebacks, overcoming adversity, winning because of defense, winning because of offense, winning because of special teams.
“When you play as many games as we do now in college football, and the type of opponents that we play, you’re going to have to find different ways to get it done. It may not always be pretty, but I also think that’s the beauty in it, right?”
There is beauty in being one of the few teams competing in conference championships and especially so when a team wasn’t expected to be there. For guys like Drew Allar who came to Happy Valley with dreams of competing for Big Ten Championships, it makes the process that much sweeter.
“We always talk about our processes, the process, no matter if we win by 50, lose by 50, win by one, lose by one,” Allar said. “We’re going to do the same thing every week, and I think that’s the best thing about our program in general. We’re process oriented, not just result based. We’re focused on that process and the things that get you to the results that you want.”
THE PROCESS CONTINUES
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Penn State TE Tyler Warren
Penn Stateโs goal of Big Ten champion is well within reach, though it will be far from easy. At this point in the season, the focus for tight end Tyler Warren is going to be on what’s gotten them this far.
“It goes back to our training and preparation in spring and fall camp, and then also just trusting each other and knowing we’ve done it before in practice, and executing the drills like we did in practice,” Warren said.
The trust Warren mentioned is not lost on his teammates. It’s a large part why he’s been the steadiest player all season and the guy nobody has seemed to be able to stop yet.
That trust is also why when Nicholas Singleton fumbled on the first play of the game, he was able to bounce back and make an impact throughout the remainder of the game.
“We just hold each other accountable,” Singleton said. “Coaches, players, just having that 1-0 mindset, not worring about the next game. Not in two week who we’ll be playing. We’re always taking every team seriously, too.”
Teams throughout the country fail to respect their opponents week in and week out and usually it backfires wholeheartedly. Take Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko for example. He mentioned the Aggies focusing on Texas before realizing his slip and correcting himself to Auburn, the team they were playing later that week and not the Longhorns who they’re playing this weekend.
Mike Elko was asked about the difficulty of keeping his team focused on Auburn with the November 30th rivalry game vs Texas just around the corner:
โOur focus is single-handedly on TexasโฆI mean Auburnโฆโ ๐ซฃ
๐ฅ Texas A&M Athletics pic.twitter.com/SOZkS9etal
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 19, 2024
The Tigers took A&M to four overtimes before taking down the Aggies and making their season goals far harder to reach.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
That lack of respect, is something cornerback Audavion Collins, a Mississippi State transfer, pointed out following the game.
“Never disrespect your opponent, because at any given Saturday you can lose against anybody,” Collins said. “You just got to be locked in on the task at hand. Never disrespect your opponent. We just focus on that no matter who it is, it can be the bottom of the conference, no matter what respect them.”
Sure, respecting opponents and trusting the process can be boring, but for Franklin and company, it works. And if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.
