The Penn State Nittany Lions are as soon as once more going through questions after failing to beat a top-tier Huge Ten opponent.
Penn State suffered a 20-13 loss at house to the Buckeyes on Saturday, the most recent in an extended line of failures towards high opposition beneath coach James Franklin. Saturday’s loss dropped Franklin to 1-13 towards top-five groups in accordance with the AP ballot, and it was marked by repeated failures within the crimson zone. In 4 red-zone journeys, the Nittany Lion offense got here away with two area objectives and two empty drives.
For Penn State, the most important failure was arguably the crew’s lack of ability to attain a landing from the Ohio State 2-yard line whereas trailing by seven within the fourth quarter. The Nittany Lions have been stuffed on three runs, then had a go try damaged up on fourth down. After the sport, Fox Sports activities analyst Brady Quinn went off on Penn State’s offensive play-calling throughout that sequence, calling out Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki for not doing extra to contain star tight finish Tyler Warren.
“That play-calling, to me, was atrocious,” Quinn mentioned on the Fox postgame present. “Tyler Warren had 88 scrimmage yards within the second half and isn’t focused as soon as in 4 performs? He obtained you down there with a 33-yard rush and also you don’t have one contact for him? I’m beside myself for Penn State followers for that purpose.”
Warren had 4 catches for 47 yards in Saturday’s loss to go along with three carries for 47 yards. Penn State’s determination to not deploy him in a vital goal-line spot is unusual, to say the least.
Franklin’s repute for shedding video games like that is solely getting stronger. It hardly helps that these sorts of in-game issues are not new both, which solely reinforces the unfavourable repute.
