James Franklin details what Penn State must accomplish to make College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff is a mirage to Penn State. The compelling vision consistently seems so close, only to suddenly disappear. Penn State head coach James Franklin recently discussed what the Nittany Lions need to make this vision a reality.

“We’ve been a part of those conversations really for probably the better part of the last seven years, we’ve been right on the cusp [of the CFP],” Franklin said in a recent interview with abc27 sports director Allie Berube. “When you’re able to become a part of those conversations on a consistent basis, then you’re going to have a year where the stars align and things go well.”

Franklin believes this season could be the sought-after year. The Nittany Lions finished last season at No. 7 in the nation. Franklin and Co. proved worthy of their position in a convincing 35-21 victory over No. 10 Utah in the Rose Bowl.

Penn State should only be better this season. Despite losing legendary quarterback Sean Clifford, Penn State fans have high hope for former five-star quartback Drew Allar. Their faith isn’t unwarranted.

Allar competed in 10 contests in the 2022-2023, completing 35-of-60 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 prototype could be the difference between a 10-2 and 12-0 regular season. When trying to make history, every game matters.

“You’ve got Ohio State, Michigan and us all within the top seven teams in the country, and that’s only on our side of the conference. So, it’s extremely competitive and we love that,” Franklin said.

Competitive is an understatement. Penn State hasn’t defeated both Ohio State and Michigan in the same season since 2008. If Franklin wants to taste the CFP, he must defeat at least one of these imposing foes.

The closest Franklin has come to the CFP was in 2016, when the 51-year-old coach led the program to a Big Ten title and win over Ohio State in the same season. However, with losses to Michigan and a subpar Pittsburgh squad, the Nittany Lions were excluded from the playoffs.

In the end, Franklin wants to see utter focus from his team every game. He knows that’s what it’s going to take for the team to reach its goals.

“Late in the season, being able to have enough depth to get through an entire season and still being playing your best football when it matters most,” Franklin said. “We need to start with West Virginia.”

Watch Penn State begin its quest for the CFP on Sept 2. as the Nittany Lions kick off their season against West Virginia.