There’s something about that Notre Dame loss that just won’t let go, right? For all the victories, all the fanfare, and even that Big Ten title loss, it’s the 24-27 Orange Bowl heartbreak that’s burned into every Penn State fan’s mind. That final drive, the interception by Drew Allar, the way the air just flew out of the stadium, you could feel it via TV. You don’t forget those moments, not when the expectations were high enough to touch the sky.
And to his credit, PSU head coach James Franklin hasn’t told anyone to forget about it either. Actually, he’s been surprisingly truthful about what went wrong, not only with Allar but with the whole team. Sure, Penn State ended 13-3, broke into the CFP for the first time, and appeared to be a national powerhouse on paper. But when it counted the most? They fell short. And now, with 2025 approaching, it’s evident Franklin’s not going to let that be the narrative once more.
Speaking recently with Ross Tucker on his Football Podcast, Franklin opened up regarding the fallout of that game and Allar’s subsequent spotlight. He quoted the last play verbatim, stating, ” I think the other thing that’s going to be critical not only for Drew but for our team is we got to make more plays around him. I mean, how many times do you see their college game or NFL, where a quarterback throws the ball up in the double coverage? Yeah. And receiver goes up and snatches it like Allen Robinson used to do here forever, and what like Ty Warren did for us last year and the announcer saying what an unbelievable throw. It was an unbelievable throw. The receiver made a play for him, and that’s what we need more of.” That’s the attitude he maintained all day, supporting his quarterback, but also sending a signal to the rest of the offense: help your man.
And that signal already influenced the way they handled the offseason. Franklin wouldn’t mention names, but it’s clear the wide receiver corps wasn’t where it had to be last year, particularly in prime-time games. So, they went all in on the transfer portal, adding proven playmakers to get around Allar. “That was a part of going out to the transfer portal and hit the wide receiver position to get more playmakers around him while we’re developing the guys [that] we have on our current roster,” Franklin said. You can’t say he didn’t see the problem; they’re addressing it before Week 1 even arrives.
But still, it’s hard to overlook the numbers: Allar passed for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 2024 with a 66.5 completion percentage and a 153.5 passer rating. Not too shabby from a second-year QB still learning the job. But against teams ranked in the top five? The numbers simply didn’t result in victories. James Franklin’s record against such opponents? A difficult 1-15. And that’s the type of number that continues to get discussed by fans, the media, and perhaps even recruits. Franklin isn’t shying away from it. “You watch the film. You make the corrections … but then you move on,” he said. And within the same breath, Franklin made sure he wasn’t going to throw his quarterback under the bus.
Why wouldn’t James Franklin make Drew Allar the scapegoat?
The most striking in that interview was how Franklin shielded Allar from scapegoating without making excuses. “I think in some areas, Drew took some criticism for that. And to be honest with you that that responsibility spread… throughout our entire team.” That’s leadership. He didn’t spin it, but also didn’t allow the story to put the loss only on the quarterback’s shoulders.
He emphasized the need to work with “the reality of what’s on the tape,” but not to get trapped in a cycle of negativity. “Because if you keep kind of beating that drum of the negatives, then you magnify them. But let’s deal with the reality of what’s on the tape. Let’s learn from it. Let’s get better and let’s move forward,” Franklin said. He’s not trying to correct errors; he’s attempting to instill confidence. And he knows that allowing Allar to be the face of a failure would hurt more than one player; it would carry over into the locker room.
Now, with fall camp intensifying, there’s a new mood surrounding State College. Franklin wants Allar to make a “sizable jump.” The physical talent is all there: 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 235 pounds, rocket arm. But more to the point, Allar now has improved protection, enhanced weapons, and a coach who’s decided to double down on him, not to cut bait. And if 2025 is going to be the year this happens, it’ll be because Franklin bet on his guy and ensured the rest of the team did as well.
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