James Franklin Ripped as Big-Game Fraud by CFB Fans as Allar, PSU Lose to Howard, OSU

The James Franklin-led No. 3 Penn State football team lost yet another big game Saturday, falling 20-13 at home to the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Since Franklin's arrival in 2014, Penn State has gone 1-14 against Top 5 teams and 3-18 versus Top 10 teams. The Nittany Lions are also 1-10 against Ohio State, with the lone win occurring in 2016.

The wind went out of Penn State's sails after Ohio State executed a successful goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter, stopping the Nittany Lions from potentially tying the game at 20.

With 6:43 left, Penn State had the ball with 1st-and-goal from the three-yard line, down 20-13. Three straight runs up the middle netted two yards before Drew Allar threw an incomplete pass to Khalil Dinkins to turn the ball over on downs.

Ohio State then ran the ball for 10 straight plays after getting possession on its own one-yard line, earning four first downs in the process. A Will Howard seven-yard run was the final blow, and Ohio State finished the game in victory formation.

Penn State had all the momentum after Zion Tracy's 31-yard pick-six and the ensuing PAT put the Nittany Lions up 10-0 with 5:37 left in the first quarter.

However, Ohio State fought back on the next drive and scored its first touchdown when Howard found Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard score.

Penn State went three-and-out but seemed ready for another chance after stopping Ohio State on 3rd-and-11 on the next Buckeye drive. But cornerback Elliot Washington II was called for taunting following an incomplete pass, extending the drive.

Ohio State capitalized on its second chance, as Howard found Brandon Inniss for a 21-yard touchdown.

On its next drive, the Buckeyes nearly took a two-score lead when Will Howard ran toward the end zone. Officials initially said he scored a 13-yard touchdown run, but replay showed that safety Zakee Wheatley forced a fumble. The ball floated over the pylon, meaning a touchback and Penn State's ball.

Penn State made a valiant effort to take the lead on its last drive before the half, reaching the Ohio State three-yard line with 13 seconds left. But Davison Igbinosun made the play of the game, sniping quarterback Drew Allar's pass to Harrison Wallace III for an interception.

Both teams traded field goals and then punts to start the second half. Ohio State's Jayden Fielding then hit another field goal to put OSU up 20-13, although not before a borderline call that was ruled an incomplete pass instead of a fumble recovered by Penn State.

PSU then drove downfield, catapulted by Tyler Warren's 33-yard run. That led to the goal-line stand and Ohio State's successful efforts to run out the clock beginning from the shadow of its end zone.

From a single-game perspective, this was brutal for Penn State, who had the win there for the taking.

The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, whether justified to be called or not, extended a drive that led to seven points. Igbinosun's interception killed a drive that could have led to seven points. The fumble that wasn't led to an OSU field goal instead of Penn State potentially going downfield for more points. The Ohio State goal-line stand prevented seven more points. And for those scoring at home, Penn State had 1st-and-goal from the three-yard line twice and scored zero points.

From a larger point of view, it's just more of the same under Franklin.

It's hard to overcome mistakes, untimely decisions and poor execution that often against the No. 4 team in the nation. But Franklin's teams, despite having the talent to win, keep coming up short in the program's biggest moments. It's been the difference between competing for a College Football Playoff berth and landing in what amounts to a consolation high-end bowl game every year.

This year, Penn State has the safety net of a 12-team CFP as opposed to a four-team one, and chances are the Nittany Lions will find themselves there so long as they win out against four Big Ten Teams they'll be favored against.

But fans understandably have little-to-no confidence in Franklin being able to meet the moment, especially after a brutal home loss against an Ohio State team that hasn't been as powerful as others in the program's past.

Fans and analysts pointed out the disappointment afterward, noting the coach's struggles in big moments and specifically calling into question the play-calling on Penn State's final drive at goal-to-go.

Penn State will stay home this week and welcome Washington into Happy Valley on Saturday, Nov. 9. The team then closes out the regular season with road games against Purdue and Minnesota before hosting Maryland.

All four of those teams are unranked. Franklin is 82-13 at PSU against unranked teams.