James Franklin appeared on the Pat McAfee Show Friday afternoon to talk about Penn State football’s game against Ohio State, Franklin and Pat McAfee’s beef, and more. Pat McAfee’s show from Beaver Stadium was a prelude to the media personality’s appearance on College GameDay on Saturday morning.

Franklin and McAfee began the interview by settling their differences from earlier in the season. McAfee, a West Virginia alum, talked trash about the Nittany Lions ahead of Penn State’s win in Morgantown. Franklin, in turn, used clips of McAfee on the show to motivate his team. Franklin said he even showed his players footage of McAfee at halftime of the West Virginia game to motivate them.

“Can we be friends again?” Franklin asked. “Because West Virginia week, you were talking a ton of trash, and then I was being really positive about you and your show. I was being really positive about your show. Now, when you’re in town, we’re best friends.”

That's not what happened @coachjfranklin #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/D6YwQxO7eN

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 1, 2024

Franklin and McAfee managed to settle the beef, with Franklin saying that he would’ve recruited McAfee out of high school.

McAfee turned his attention to Saturday’s game, telling Franklin that he felt there was a difference between Penn State’s team in 2024 and past teams, which Franklin confirmed.

“You look at our USC game, you look at the West Virginia game, we’ve had to win a ton of different ways, and we found ways to do it. And as a football team, you’re going to have to do that,” Franklin said. “There’ll be some weeks and you may be able to blow people out. There are other weeks you’re gonna have to come back in the fourth quarter. It shows the character of a team.”

Franklin also touched on the challenges facing Penn State’s defense tomorrow, referencing freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.

“It’s always a challenge, right? They always have some of the best wide receivers in the country. They got three of them again this year,” Franklin said. “They got a true freshman that’s probably like nothing we’ve ever seen in college football as a true freshman. They got two tailbacks, one that we’ve already faced when he was at Ole Miss.

“So there’s talent all over the field, but that’s year in and year out with Ohio State. They do a great job. As you know, it’s always going to start up front. We’re going to have to do a great job with both lines of scrimmage to hopefully limit the impact that those guys make.”

Franklin and McAfee also touched on Nick Saban’s presence at Penn State, former Vanderbilt offensive line coach Herb Hand’s drinking abilities, Pittsburgh, military flyovers, the word “progrum,” recruiting, and more in the wide-ranging segment.