After starting the season 3-0, Penn State dropped yet another ranked game last week in Beaver Stadium, losing to the Oregon Ducks 30-24.

The Nittany Lions started slow, falling to a 17-3 deficit early in the fourth quarter before making a remarkable comeback, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, however, the defense showed fatigue, and quarterback Drew Allar threw the game-losing interception, a sight the Penn State faithful know all too well.

As you would guess, fans took to social media with pure frustration as James Franklin now holds a nefarious 4-21 record against AP top-10 opponents in his Penn State career.

James Franklin Should Be Fired

Oscar Orellana: I understand the frustration of the fans and everyone involved, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is a bad situation. Saturday was one of the biggest disappointments in the history of this program.

Sure, we can toss around 4-21 and all of that, but it’s just not productive at this point. Why are we still pointing out things we already know? The only thing the fanbase and the team can do is move forward and focus on the next big opportunity.

Will Penn State beat Ohio State? Who knows. But now is not the time to fire Franklin. That would lead to a bigger disaster and would have monumental effects on the program for years to come.

Collin Ward: I am pretty ready to say it is time to move on from Franklin. Penn State fans as a whole should be grateful for what he has done for the program. There is no doubt he is a very good head coach; he can recruit really well, and creates a strong culture in his programs.

With that being said, Penn State is back in a place where it should be competing for a national championship every season. Everything else in Happy Valley seems to be changing and getting better, so why not do the same in the coaching department?

In no world, though, should the Nittany Lions move on from Franklin this season. This should be his last chance. If he can’t prove he can win big games and goes another year with a 10-2 record and a loss to the first great team he plays in the playoffs, it’s time to start the 2026 season fresh.

Cooper Cazares: I completely understand the frustration. Franklin’s record in big-time games is disturbing for the Penn State fanbase. It’s hard to defend him over and over when the same results keep occurring.

That being said, it would be a tragic mistake to fire him in-season. If Penn State were to lose to Indiana or Ohio State later this season and the Nittany Lions end up missing the playoffs, I’d say his time at Penn State is done.

With him gone, however, I would predict massive setbacks in recruiting for the 2026 and 2027 classes, as we’ve seen recruits head for more secure places after a coaching change. If there were a year Franklin gets canned, it would be this season if things don’t turn out better in the near future; however, expect a program-changing shift if it were to occur.

Drew Allar Has Reached His Ceiling

Oscar Orellana: I’m one of the biggest Drew Allar defenders out there, but I think Saturday is making me jump off the ship just a little bit. My toes are in the water right now.

Allar has been with Franklin his whole time at Penn State and is in his second year with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Penn State went out and got three outstanding wide receivers after a dumpster fire of a unit last year, yet Allar can’t seem to put all the pieces together.

Could it be the scheme? Yes. However, Allar has consistently missed routine throws and simply hasn’t had the ‘it’ factor at all this season. His best plays have been on play-action deep shots to Devonte Ross. He hasn’t made his mark yet, and Saturday’s ending really has me questioning if he’s learned from his mistakes from seasons past at all.

Allar really needs to have a phenomenal rest of the year because right now, that stock is slipping.

Collin Ward: No.

Allar still shows flashes of so much potential. I think the offense has stunted his growth a little. He has no time in the pocket right now, causing him to force his first read on almost every play.

Andy Kotelnicki needs to adjust to his quarterback, not the other way around. Allar has elite arm talent when given time and space, so get him time and space.

The Medina, Ohio, native also needs to get that fire back from his first year as a starter. Losses and excessive thinking have seemingly taken the fun out of football for him. At the end of the day, it’s a game, and if yelling at every defender on the field makes you play better, then yell at every defender on the field.

Cooper Cazares: The answer is no.

I will continue defending Drew Allar despite everything being said about him. He’s a good quarterback and has the intangibles to be great. Whether it’s a confidence issue, a scheme issue, or an offensive line issue, the guy has shown flashes of greatness.

I’ll admit, Allar has weapons now, and he’s not utilizing them to their full potential, but I refuse to believe it’s all his fault for the lack of offensive production, nor will I sit back and allow people to call him a “bad quarterback.”

Penn State Shouldn’t Be Ranked

Oscar Orellana: This is outrageous. Went to double overtime with the No. 6 team in the country after coming back from down two scores in the fourth quarter. I don’t care about the easy non-conference schedule; this team deserves to be ranked and will continue to be, barring extraordinary circumstances.

Collin Ward: What? Who said this?

Virginia is ranked, like, come on.

Cooper Cazares: Yeah, this one is wild.

I understand the frustration, but c’mon. The Nittany Lions have a load of talent. The offense still has work to do, but as we saw in the fourth quarter against Oregon, there’s something special inside the Nittany Lions. If the offense can figure it out, this team is among the best in college football.

Andy Kotelnicki Is Holding Back The Penn State Offense

Oscar Orellana: I do agree with this. As mentioned before, while Allar definitely has issues on his own, a lot of Penn State’s offensive troubles could stem from his misuse in the offense.

Allar is most perfectly at peace and strong in the pocket. He’s a gunslinger, there’s no two ways about that. Let him sit back, give him time, and he’ll toss that thing exactly where it needs to be. We’ve all seen it before, just like in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

Yet, I feel like Kotelnicki’s obsession with the RPO and jet sweep game with Trebor Peña, specifically, messes with Allar’s rhythm and comfort in the pocket. With so many moving pieces, it’s hard for him to settle in and focus on his job: get the ball in a receiver’s hands.

Penn State found so much success in the final frame against Oregon because it switched to a pro-style offense as opposed to a college-style one. It prioritized Allar’s pocket presence and focused on running the ball effectively. If something has to change, my mind goes to Kotelnicki’s schemes and game planning. After all, he’s calling the shots.

Collin Ward: I actually think this is true. Kotelnicki has been too cute this season for his own good. So many questionable play calls to try to outsmart the opponent in must-win situations.

I mean, in the third quarter, he drew up a quarterback draw to Allar on 3rd-and-9. I am sure he was assuming the defense thought it was a must-pass situation, but they thought that for a reason.

The Nittany Lions do not have Jalon Daniels; it’s time to start acting like we do.

Cooper Cazares: We don’t have a Tyler Warren, Mr. K.

After four games, the offensive coordinator has some explaining to do. In no way should this offense be as stagnant as it is. The Nittany Lions were stuck in the 3rd-and-long situation way too often to have a dependable offense on Saturday.

Last season, with Warren, you could get away with some of these cute, dinky little plays, but it just hasn’t been working now that the first-round pick is gone.

Take the leash off the offense and let Allar get going in the passing game. Test the deep ball before you’re down two scores. Try something to make yourself less predictable, and I bet there will be offensive production that follows.

The Ohio State Game Is Now A Must-Win

Oscar Orellana: Definitely. There’s no other way forward. Penn State has to take care of business in Columbus. Going into the season, I was always of the mind that the Nittany Lions would drop either the Oregon game or the Ohio State game. With one down, Penn State must beat the Buckeyes to at least change some sort of narrative heading into the postseason.

Collin Ward: My argument to this would be that Ohio State found a way into the College Football playoffs with two Big Ten losses, one of them to an unranked team.

The difference is that Ohio State has one big game and has proven to be must-see television in the playoffs. The Ohio State brand is more likely to be favored over the Nittany Lions by the committee. I still think if Penn State is 10-2 with losses to No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon, it will be extremely hard to keep them out.

With that being said, this is assuming the Nittany Lions handle business in what has turned out to be a very difficult schedule. Penn State will have a four-week span that involves playing No. 8 Indiana, at Iowa, at No. 1 Ohio State, and against Nebraska. None of those are guaranteed wins.

Cooper Cazares: The schedule keeps getting more and more difficult.

Penn State will have to get through some tough competition before heading into Columbus, including a possible top-10 matchup with Indiana and an away game in Kinnick Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes. I’d say one more loss before the Buckeye game would make it a “must-win,” but as of now, I’m OK with saying it’s not.