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PSU kickoff
Saturday: Bowling Green at Penn State, Noon
Records: Both clubs are 1-0
TV: Big Ten Network
The line: PSU is 34.5-point favorite
By Neil Rudel
nrudel@altoonamirror.com
James Franklin's feelings on non-conference scheduling are well known.
When he's had to go on the road early in the season for matchups at Auburn (2022) and this past Saturday in Morgantown, in each case Franklin has made it clear afterward he's not in favor of such opponents.
Even though his team has won decisively in both places.
"We've seen it every year around the country," he said after the Nittany Lions dismantled West Virginia 34-12. "These opening games, playing these types of opponents are tough. They're challenging. It's a (scheduling) philosophy. ADs have a big role in this. And head coaches. What type of games are you going to schedule for out-of-conference games and what's in everybody's best interest?"
Sandy Barbour scheduled the home-and-home with Auburn, which left Franklin gnashing his teeth, and the two-game arrangement with WVU was actually hatched in 2013 by Dave Joyner and Bill O'Brien, who also made a four-year relationship with Pitt (2016-19).
Franklin would have preferred a root canal without Novocain than play Pitt, where a loss in 2016 helped keep the Lions out of the College Football Playoff, though a 49-10 shellacking at Michigan didn't help.
With an athletic director in Pat Kraft that he's more "aligned" with, don't expect Penn State to venture into matchups that you'll see today with Texas at Michigan or later in September when Alabama visits Wisconsin.
Almost certainly, Franklin will never again sit for a non-conference road opener again like the one he just completed. (He also moaned about his very first game, a matchup with UCF in Ireland that O'Brien left him).
"You start out with a tough loss and come out and play not as clean as you'd like because you're still working through the kinks," he said Saturday. "Obviously, when you get the win, it's a huge positive. But if you don't, it can really start your season off on the wrong path and you have to battle through it. When it works, it's a huge win. But the question is - does it really make sense?"
To Franklin, that's a resounding no. He'd much rather be playing Bowling Green like he is today (noon, BTN).
"Me and Pat have had a lot of conversations," Franklin said. "And he's got strong opinions about it."
The Lions got out of a previously announced two-game series with Virginia Tech, leaving the following non-conference matchups over the next four years:
2025 - Nevada, Florida International, Villanova
2026 - Marshall, at Temple, Buffalo
2027 - Syracuse, Delaware, Temple
2028 - Ball State, at Syracuse, TBA
So the Kraft-Franklin approach is clear.
There's no question the Big Ten expansion has made the regular season more difficult, and the primary goal is making the 12-team playoff field.
At the same time, future non-cons will not generate fan excitement, or prepare the team for its bigger games of the season.
And at some point, seeding may be tied to strength of schedule, and that could end up determining which 10-2 team hosts a playoff game or goes on the road.
In that regard, despite Franklin's contention, the win at WVU may end up helping the Nittany Lions come playoff time - should they make it.
SUBHD: Nitpicking ...
N There are two Big Ten teams so far that look even better than advertised - Penn State and USC, which makes their Oct. 12 matchup in Los Angeles quite intriguing, especially if the Trojans can get win at Michigan next week.
N Bill O'Brien's debut at Boston College, in which the Eagles dominated Florida State, could not have been more impressive. The Seminoles are clearly in decline and have not recovered from the injury to their starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, last year, but BC's win stamped immediate credibility to the O'Brien hiring.
N Tough start for Altoona native and former Penn State DC Brent Pry, who enters his third season at Virginia Tech with raised expectations but suffered a pretty brutal overtime loss at Vanderbilt in the opener as a two-touchdown favorite.
N Penn State leads its all-time series with Bowling Green, 2-0. Ironically, both wins marked milestones for Joe Paterno, who won his 200th game in 1987 and his 300th in 1998. When Paterno was asked after his 200th if it was the last 100 milestone he expected to pass, he cracked: "I may live to be 100, but I'm sure not going to around for another 100 wins." Turns out he was around for 209 more.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com. He will respond to brief questions and comments in Gameday.