CLEVELAND, Ohio — They call him Big Game James, but — here’s a secret — they don’t mean it. Penn State football coach James Franklin earned his sarcastic nickname from years of losing signature matchups. \
Many have come by close margins, but none help Franklin’s reputation in a sport where every program’s fan base believes their team can (if not should) do more.
Statistically, Franklin’s third-ranked Nittany Lions, who host No. 4 Ohio State at noon on Saturday, are 3-17 against top-10 opponents since he took over in 2014, which includes just one win over the Buckeyes (2016).
Anecdotally, Franklin frustrates fans with his late-game clock management. And ironically, Franklin’s shortcomings may throw shade at OSU coach Ryan Day’s own spotlighted history.
Day owns the third-best winning percentage in Buckeye coaching history (.873) but, increasingly, his winning standard is growing stale among OSU fans. The coach earns no grace for his unblemished record (45-0) against unranked opponents (best in school history). And fans weigh Day’s three losses to Michigan, plus three more in Playoff games, much heavier than the 17 ranked wins he has accrued over six seasons.
Unfair? Understandable, at least to the uninitiated. But hold Day’s ranked record under the diehard’s unforgiving light, and you’ll see unfulfilled potential. You’ll count two wins from Day’s 8-8 record against top-10 teams — and five of his ranked wins overall — against the man known for losing those games. You might wonder, as I am this week:
How much has James Franklin shielded Ryan Day from owning James Franklin’s reputation?
Before we start slinging mud, let’s acknowledge two truths of top-tier college football: Only one program can finish any season satisfied. And even fewer fan bases harbor measured opinions concerning their favorite program.
Now that we understand each other: Only three teams have ranked top three in 247Sports.com′s team talent rankings every year since 2019, Day’s first full season at OSU:
Two (Georgia and Alabama) have won three of the last four national championships. The other (Ohio State) has missed the playoff more often (twice) than it has won a playoff game (once) during the same span.
And since we know the Buckeyes have never lost to an unranked opponent under Day, we know which obstacles have blocked their championship path.
Namely: The 2019 Playoff Semifinal against Clemson, which featured a questionable, game-changing fumble call; a trio of losses to Michigan, which now wear asterisks due to the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal and former Buckeye quarterback Kyle McCord’s what-if-interception from last season; and this month’s loss to Oregon, after which OSU believed the refs owed them one more second to kick a game-winning field goal.
In a vacuum, each loss is explainable. When one good team plays another, margins are slim. One bad bounce, or bad call, or bad actor in a Central Michigan disguise, can define the difference.
Once such losses begin stacking, however, fans ask harder questions. They search for deficiencies. And if they count more star players than roster flaws, as Columbus residents usually do, they blame the coach, bemoan his mistakes, even belittle his wins over a fellow conference bigwig.
Unfair? Understandable, especially if you sympathize with Franklin’s Penn State plight.
In nine-plus years as coach, he’s posted as many 10-win seasons (five) as losses to unranked opponents. He owns the Nittany Lions’ only outright Big Ten Championship of this century. And of Franklin’s 17 losses to Top 10 opponents, eight have come against the conference juggernaut that consistently boasts more talent.
Hence the nickname. Both “Big Game James” and “Small Play Day” (as he might be known on OSU message boards) have built their names on matchups like Saturday’s, just not the way you’d think. Penn State doesn’t win this game, Ohio State doesn’t win enough of the others. Both suffer losses by small margins, but neither reputation benefits in a sport where both fan bases believe their coach can (if not should) do more.