Ohio State owns Penn State again, James Franklin failed the Lions, and more of what they're saying

Penn State is the talk of the college football world on the first Sunday of November, but not for the reasons it was hoping for. The Lions are widely being ridiculed after losing to Ohio State for the 10th time in 11 years, this time by a final score of 20-13 that featured no offensive touchdowns and two failed goal-to-go drives that resulted in no points.

“I understand their frustration,” Franklin said when asked about the fans. “Guys in the locker room are just as frustrated, if not more. But college football has changed, and we have an opportunity moving forward to right some wrongs from today, and that’s what we’re going to focus on. I get it. We get an unbelievable crowd here. We get unbelievable support. You don’t do that without passion. And there’s great things that come from that, and there’s hard things that come from that. That’s part of the job, and I own it all.”

Here’s what is being said locally and nationally.

Ohio State owns Penn State again

That is the take of USA Today’s Blake Toppemeyer, and probably many others, too. The Buckeyes now hold a 25-14 edge over Penn State all-time and a 10-1 record in the James Franklin era.

“Franklin and his Nittany Lions continue to live under Ohio State’s fist, while OSU’s defense refused to let the Buckeyes slip to the wrong side of the College Football Playoff bubble,” Toppemeyer writes.

“The Buckeyes survived an early 10-point deficit, and they survived two turnovers, and they persisted in front of a crowd of 111,030 that had hoped against history that Franklin would finally solve his Ohio State problem. Nope. More of the same from Franklin and Penn State.”

Read the full story here.

Franklin failed the Lions

That’s the view of CBS Sports college football reporter and Big Ten columnist Tom Fornelli.

“

Much has been made about coach James Franklin and Penn State’s inability to get over the Ohio State hump in the week leading up to Saturday’s Week 10 game,” Fornelli writes. “Franklin came into the contest with a 1-9 career mark against the Buckeyes since taking the Penn State job and had lost seven straight. On a day when Ohio State was less than 100%, didn’t play its A-game, had two crucial turnovers and spotted the Nittany Lions a 10-point lead, Penn State still failed to beat the Buckeyes. The losing streak is extended another season, and Franklin falls to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.

“If the Nittany Lions couldn’t get the job done today, why should we ever believe they will?”

Read the full story here.

Ohio State had the better offensive coordinator

Both programs made high-profile hires this offseason. Ohio State plucked then sitting head coach Chip Kelly away from UCLA. And, Penn State lured Andy Kotelnicki away from Kansas. Both did so with hopes of developing an offense that could be at its best in any game’s biggest moments. And, as Bob Flounders writes for PennLive, Kelly got the better of his counterpart on this afternoon.

“Kelly got the better of his Penn State counterpart, Andy Kotelnicki, who couldn’t get his offense into the end zone. PSU was held to 270 total yards and converted only 3 of 11 third-down chances,” Flounders writes. “In a game that started with great promise for previously unbeaten Penn State, the final 45 minutes were disappointing for the Nittany Lions’ players and coaches and disillusioning for the program’s fans.”

Read the full story here.

Final word on Penn State-Ohio State

This week, it comes from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports:

“For Penn State, the perspectives were all the same. Under coach James Franklin, the Nittany Lions lost an eighth consecutive game to Ohio State and an 11th straight to AP top-five teams. Their offense didn’t crack the 300-yard mark, converted just three third downs and, during the first three quarters, had two plays over 20 yards.

“They tried everything, it seemed. For instance, five different Penn State players took snaps (two quarterbacks, two running backs and a tight end). They attempted a handful of cute trick plays that went nowhere, and then, when down on the goal line with a first down at the 3, they ran up the middle three times.

“Franklin is 1-10 against Ohio State. In 11 seasons, he’s 6-21 in games against those with plenty of resources (the Buckeyes, Michigan and SEC teams). Penn State feels like it’s close to its competitors in off-the-field investments for, perhaps, the first time in years, AD Pat Kraft said earlier this week. But on Saturday, on the field, it was more of the same. Few explosive offensive weapons. Late-game miscues. Silly clock management.”

Read the full story here.