It’s no secret Penn State football is having a tough year.

Facing challenges like injuries, opt-outs, coaching changes, and a global pandemic, the Nittany Lions are 1-5. Penn State’s first 0-5 start in program history certainly isn’t something coach James Franklin wants on his resume, but he thinks his team is much more than that.

“We have to own this season,” Franklin said Tuesday. “We have to own it, but this is not the totality of who we are.”

The head coach cited recent program successes like a Cotton Bowl championship, Fiesta Bowl championship, and Big Ten title as proof that Penn State is more than its 1-5 record. The program had lots of promise just a few months ago, but things can change in the blink of an eye.

Franklin said he likes looking at the “big picture” during times of adversity. He’s not making excuses for a poor season, but he’s accepting the Nittany Lions’ shortcomings and taking things into account for the future. Franklin added that he’s learned a lot about himself, the staff, the coaches, and the fan base during this season.

Franklin’s previously said he’s been honest with recruits about the team’s struggles because he believes that this too shall pass. He doesn’t want to hit the panic button just yet. A historic and recently successful Penn State program is more than just one bad season amid a pandemic.

“As a leader, the consistency is really important: that you never get too high, you never get too low,” Franklin said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t show emotion with the team, and that doesn’t mean I don’t show emotion with the staff.”

Penn State isn’t too concerned about this “off year,” but fans have certainly expressed discontent with the state of the program. It’s hard to scroll through the football team’s Twitter account without seeing something along the lines of “fire Franklin” in the replies.

For now, Franklin is keeping his eyes downfield and taking things one week at a time. He knows how quickly the public perception of a team can change. If some of Penn State’s struggles carry over into next year and the year after, the reactions will just get worse.

“You can win for four seasons at a level as high as anyone in the country, and then during a season that’s been challenging on our world and a year that’s been challenging on a world, it can change quickly,” Franklin said. “And for me to sit here and say that’s not hard — it’s hard.”

Penn State has obviously been faced with lots of challenges this year, but so has every other program. It’s likely that when things are all said and done, there will be an asterisk next to the Nittany Lions’ 2020 season. It’s hard to dish out blame when the whole world has been turned upside down.

Franklin believes Penn State is more than an eyesore of a five-game losing streak, but only time will tell if he’s right.