James Franklin to Penn State fans after loss: 'I understand their frustration'

The Penn State Nittany Lions are dealing with a frustrating loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s a game where head coach James Franklin noted the frustration of fans, some of whom could be seen booing after the game.

Franklin explained that he understood the frustration of fans. He also shared that the frustration extends beyond the fanbase and to the team itself.

“I understand their frustration,” James 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 right some wrongs from today, and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”

Even with the loss to Ohio State, Penn State is still in an excellent position to make it to the College Football Playoff this season, even potentially hosting a game. The Nittany Lions are ranked sixth in the initial College Football Playoff Selection Committee rankings, meaning they’re still considered one of the best teams in the country.

“I get it. We get an unbelievable crowd here. We get unbelievable support. You don’t do that without passion,” Franklin said. “And there’s great things that come from that, and there’s hard things that come from that. That’s part of the job, and I own it all. I own it all.

During his time at Penn State, James Franklin has found plenty of success. That includes six AP Top 25 finishes, a conference championship, and five New Year’s Six Bowl appearances. However, he’s struggled in big games during that time, particularly against Michigan and Ohio State. Against those two teams, he has a record of 4-17 while at Penn State. Those big game struggles are, likely, a key reason why fans were so frustrated.

James Franklin reacts to frustration from Penn State fans vs. Ohio State

Following the game, James Franklin shared that he understands that fan expectations are high and that can lead to frustrations pouring out from fans.

“Nobody is looking in the mirror harder than I am. I’ve said this before, but 99% of the programs across college football would die to do what we’ve been able to do in our time here. That’s all of us. But I also understand when you’re in a place like Penn State, there are really, really high expectations. When you’re in a place like Ohio State, there are really, really high expectations. I totally get it. We’ve looked at all these things really hard. We’ll continue to look at these things really hard,” Franklin said.

“There are a lot of things that I had planned on saying when I came in here today, but they are not appropriate to say right now. I’ll hold them ’til another time.”