One of the teams making their playoff debut was the Penn State Nittany Lions. Historically, Penn State has often been on the brink of making the playoffs, only to fall short in previous seasons. In 2016, they finished No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. In 2017, they were No. 9. In 2022, they […]
One of the teams making their playoff debut was the Penn State Nittany Lions. Historically, Penn State has often been on the brink of making the playoffs, only to fall short in previous seasons. In 2016, they finished No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. In 2017, they were No. 9. In 2022, they ended the season with an 11-2 record but ranked No. 11. Similarly, in 2023, they finished at 10-3 and were ranked No. 10.AdvertisementHowever, Penn State’s 2024 season was not lost. The team made its first appearance in the CFP and defeated two playoff teams, indicating that it has addressed some of its past challenges in big games.
However, Penn State’s 2024 season was not lost. The team made its first appearance in the CFP and defeated two playoff teams, indicating that it has addressed some of its past challenges in big games.
The statistics back up Finebaum’s assertion. Since head coach James Franklin took over in 2014, he has a record of 4-20 against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 10. When his team is also in the top 10, his record in those matchups is just 3-11. Finebaum has been highly critical of Franklin due to these struggles, previously describing him as a “jinxed” coach who will never win a championship.Related: ESPN Predicts What Team Will Win the Big Ten Championship in 2025“Penn State, we know they can never win a big game,” Finebaum said. “We’ve seen that repeatedly.A caller on “The Paul Finebaum Show” bragged about the Big Ten in football. The SEC Network analyst was not interested and noted his belief that Penn State struggles in important games.
