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The big Penn State problem that there's no easy fix for with three games to go: One big thing

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel11/14/21GregPickel
James Franklin
Penn State coach James Franklin. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

James Franklin shared Penn State’s biggest problem this year following a 21-17 loss to Michigan

It was another game where the Lions couldn’t score enough points to win despite a mostly fine defensive effort in a season full of them.

Worse yet, there is no quick fix for one of the biggest things that ails this 6-4 program with two regular season games to go.

“We have played hard, but we haven’t made enough big plays,” Franklin said. “You take Jahan Dotson out, and we’re not making enough big plays or explosive plays.

“We’ve done that for a really long time, and I don’t know if we’ve had very many explosive runs all year long, so that is something we’re going to have to look at hard, but I think that’s the biggest issue. We just don’t have enough explosiveness besides Jahan Dotson.”

It’s the quiet secret that has led the Lions to where they are today.

From a rankings perspective, Penn State has recruited well over the last handful of cycle. But for the most part, those stars on paper have not transitioned to the field on offense. Dotson is clearly the standout, but through 10 games, he hasn’t had a consistent partner to share the load with.

Saquon Barkley had an embarrassment of riches to help him. Miles Sanders, KJ Hamler, and Mike Gesicki did, too. On this roster, however, it’s Sean Clifford doing his best while playing hurt at times behind an offensive line that fails to create holes and protect in the passing game too often. Even when they do, there’s not an explosive back who can always take advantage of it. And, in some cases, Clifford holds the ball too long. Sometimes, that is his fault and a product of no one getting open in other instances.

In August, some thought the Lions could have one of the nation’s deepest running back rooms. There were beliefs that the tight ends would becapable of replacing what was lost when Pat Freiermuth became an NFL Draft pick, too. The results haven’t equaled the expectations. It’s unclear how they could before this chapter is closed in the storied Penn State football history book.

That said, it is of utmost important over these last two regular season games plus a postseason matchup to find someone who might be able to fill those shoes moving forward. Dotson is gone after this season. Besides Parker Washington, who is the obvious candidate to step into the spotlight he’s created? One doesn’t currently exist. Hopes are high regarding a stellar 2022 recruiting class, and maybe better quarterback play and thus a new star will come with it. The hype has to equal the production, though. That can’t be counted on as a guarantee.

Ultimately, the one big thing we learned on Saturday is Franklin saying what has been evident but not discussed out loud. Recruiting success has not yet equaled on-field success in the game-changer department. Penn State does not have the playmakers needed to win consistently. That’s why it finds itself where it does in mid-November.

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