INDIANAPOLIS – Penn State coach James Franklin sees beyond Big Ten rivalries.
The Nittany Lions will not have a protected rival when the Big Ten moves to 16 teams without divisions in 2024. Penn State will not play either Ohio State or Michigan annually in that setup – which changes the nature of those must-see rivalries that were born when the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993.
Franklin seems OK with that, and it has nothing to do with an easier path to 12-0. It's about the best interest for Penn State – and the Big Ten – when the 12-team College Football Playoff arrives.
"I think obviously the Big Ten has made some decisions that I think most people would agree, whether it's athletic directors or coaches, that we made decisions that we felt like were going to put the conference in the best position to compete for national championships," Franklin said at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday. "Not only that, give us the best chance to get multiple teams into the playoffs."
Perhaps no FBS school would have benefited more from the 12-team playoff setup over the last nine years. The Nittany Lions have four 11-win seasons with four New Year's Day Six appearances; the most by a team that hasn't made the four-team CFP.
That's why NBC Sports analyst Todd Blackledge – who played quarterback at Penn State for a national championship team in 1982 when the Nittany Lions were independent – is not worried about the pending unrivaled nature of the program's future.
"Maybe not being locked into playing them every year ends up being a good thing for Penn State," Blackledge said.
What is the logic? While Penn State has been the better matchup for Ohio State the last 10 years, the Buckeyes' matchup with Michigan will always get more national attention.
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"It still feels like it would never ever compete or compare with Ohio State-Michigan," Blackledge said. "Some Penn State fans are saying, those have been the two sledgehammers in the league, and since James has been there they are 4-14 against Ohio State and Michigan. They have to find a way to get over the hump."
Penn State's 11-win seasons under James Franklin
| Year | vs. Michigan | vs. Ohio State |
| 2016 | Lost to No. 4 Michigan 49-10 | Beat No. 2 Ohio State 24-21 |
| 2017 | Beat No. 19 Michigan 42-13 | Lost to No. 6 Ohio State 39-38 |
| 2018 | Beat No. 16 Michigan 28-21 | Lost to No. 2 Ohio State 28-17 |
| 2022 | Lost to No. 5 Michigan 41-17 | Lost to No. 2 Ohio State 44-31 |
That is especially true heading into a 2023 season where the Nittany Lions have high expectations coming off last year's Rose Bowl victory. A sophomore class that features Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen and Abdul Carter matches well with veteran leaders such as Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Kalen King and Adisa Isaac. Penn State has a potential NFL difference-maker at most of its position groups.
"When you talk about question marks leading into the season, to me every year when we come to this, that's kind of how I look at our season, it is based on question marks," Franklin said. "I think we probably have less question marks this year than we have in previous seasons."
In 2023, the question is whether the Nittany Lions can beat Ohio State and Michigan in the same season. That has happened only twice since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993.
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In 2008, Penn State beat Michigan 46-17 on Oct. 6 and No. 10 Ohio State 13-6 on Oct. 13 – the last time the Nittany Lions beat those teams in the same season. Of course, Iowa ruined Penn State's unbeaten season 24-23 the following week.
In 1994, Penn State beat No. 5 Michigan 31-24 on Oct. 15 then beat No. 21 Ohio State 63-14 on Oct. 29. That was part of a perfect 12-0 season where the Nittany Lions finished at No. 2, one spot behind No. 1 Nebraska. For added measure, Penn State beat No. 14 USC 38-14 that season, too.
This year, Penn State plays at Ohio State on Oct. 21 and at home against Michigan on Nov. 11. The Buckeyes and Wolverines will be top-10 teams again. This is a last shot of sorts before that new Big Ten scheduling takes effect.
"You talk about some of the historical games and some of the exciting games that have been played and opponents, I think for the most part, those will still happen, but there will be some times where there's different teams or a lack of a team on your schedule that you're used to playing,” Franklin said.
That long-term view is more appropriate for Penn State. Besides, Franklin has never been hung up on the Buckeyes and Wolverines anyway. He has notoriously used a 1-0 every week philosophy both on social media and with players.
"I don't really think there is a gap at all with Ohio State, Michigan and ourselves," Fashanu said. "I think we're at the level of college football where the differences in the game can come down to a few plays."
"We tried to keep it as a regular game as possible, and obviously we know the stakes at hand in those types of games," Isaac added. "What really was a focal point in those games was not finishing."
Nothing overly sensational there. If Penn State wants to win the Big Ten this year, it needs to finish against loaded Ohio State and Michigan teams. In 2024, Ohio State, USC, Nebraska and Wisconsin are on the schedule. That is why Franklin might be ahead of the game.
Those rivalries are important, but the overall goal is reaching the 12-team playoff now. In the new setup, Penn State should be a regular. That is a message the players should retain easily, even if it might be sacrilegious to some traditional Big Ten rivals.
"I feel like everybody should be your rival," Isaac said. "You shouldn't overlook anybody. When it comes to rivals, yeah you compete with top teams, but it should be every game should be a Super Bowl. They should be the same."
