James Franklin: 'I'm not going to allow a few losses define my career'

James Franklin couldn’t secure a landmark victory for Penn State over Oregon in Week 5. The Nittany Lions battled back and forced double overtime, but they couldn’t finish the job in Happy Valley.

The loss only added fuel to the fire of a certain long-standing narrative: Franklin’s Penn State teams have consistently fallen short in big games. The numbers paint a tough picture — the Nittany Lions are 4–21 against AP top-10 opponents under Franklin, including a 1–18 mark against top-10 teams from within the Big Ten.

Despite that record, Franklin refuses to let it define his tenure in Happy Valley. He acknowledged the weight of those setbacks, but stressed that both he and his program are working to continue moving forward in a positive direction.

“We have lost to really good teams. We’ve lost to really, really good teams,” Franklin stated, via a press conference on Monday. “I take that very hard, and I take that very personal, because I know how important it is to so many different people. I always start with myself and the things I can control. That’s why I take things so personal. That’s why I take things so hard.

“Whenever you do that, you have to be careful. You try to tune out all the noise that you possibly can, which is difficult in today’s day and age. I try to insulate the players as much as I possibly can. … I try to be as respectful as I can. I try to answer the tough questions you guys ask. It’s not always easy. I wouldn’t say I enjoy this whatsoever, but I understand you have a job to do and those tough questions are going to come.”

Franklin also emphasized that one loss — or even a few — won’t define Penn State’s season. Nor will it erase the progress made during his 12 years at the helm of the Nittany Lions

“I will also say this: I’m not going to allow one loss to define our season. I’m not going to allow a few losses to define my career or what we have built here at Penn State,” Franklin added. “Because even though I don’t think a lot of people spend much time on what we’ve accomplished in 12 years here — and I get it, nobody wants to hear this right now — there are a ton of positives.

“I say that as someone trying to focus on those positives while still moving the program forward and taking the next step this week. I don’t want this to come off as me ignoring the negatives, but I don’t think yelling, screaming, or pointing fingers solves the problem. That’s not what we’re going to do.

“There’s also the responsibility of making sure I represent this program and this university the right way — with class and integrity. That probably shows up even more in moments like this than when things are going well. But I’ll be honest — it’s not fun, and it’s not easy when you care as deeply as we do.”

Looking ahead, Penn State will have at least two more chances to flip the script against top opponents. A Nov. 1 road trip to Ohio State looms large, followed by a home matchup against Indiana the next week. Both are currently ranked in the AP top 10.

For Franklin, the challenge is clear: he needs to inspire belief and break through against the nation’s best. If he does that, perhaps he’ll finally bring Penn State into the upper echelon of college football, like he’s intending.