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Of all the things that were difficult to fathom from Penn State's performance against Ohio State and its aftermath, I found this admission from James Franklin to stand alone.
During his Tuesday press conference, the last question Franklin took was about his own accountability when the team loses a big game, especially in an era of raising money for program needs and keeping fan engagement high.
His answer was both honest and intriguing.
He said, "Yeah, if I did not do that (after OSU game), I think you just created an opportunity for me to do that, which I appreciate. Ultimately, it's always on me when things don't go well. When things do go well, trust me, I had all the things; when I talk about our process of being prepared for that game and then literally what I was going to say in the press conference after getting that win, it was going to be, obviously, to praise the players.
"What was the difference this year in being able to get that win? It was going to be about the players and some other things that I wanted to talk about, but that didn't happen. When it doesn't happen, it is ultimately on me and my responsibility ... There's no gray area about that whatsoever."
Absolutely stunning to me was his disclosure that he had scripted in his mind what his post-game remarks would have been after the Lions won.
While his honesty and transparency were admirable, I just can't believe he'd spend eight seconds worrying about it.
Franklin is generally excellent in press conferences -- composed, well spoken and thoughtful.
Certainly, like everybody, he's occasionally tripped -- the "elite" speech continues to haunt him after the 2017 loss to the Buckeyes and even two weeks ago when Cory Giger made his "skin crawl" over the lack of an over-the-top passing game that Franklin later walked back.
But this is a guy who has risen to one of the top jobs in the country through his communication and relationship skills because we sure as heck know it's not his strategic acumen when the lights are shining the brightest.
I cannot believe he thinks he has to be that scripted that he can't just walk into the visiting Ohio State media room, a winner for the first time in five trips, and pour out some deserved joy and emotion and humbly accept the positive vibe that would have come with it.
No one expected or needed a speech.
Asked by veteran State College reporter Mike Poorman a day later to add clarity to what he meant, Franklin said there was no misinterpretation.
"What I was trying to talk about was the confidence we had going into the game," he said. "I knew the questions that were going to come based on the record so there were some things I wanted to say, and it was going to be an opportunity. That was part of my process, visualizing the success we were going to have and then how we were going to handle it -- and for me specifically walking into that media session after the game and not answering as many tough questions as I have in the past."
This just may provide a glimpse deeper into Franklin and what has been his total inability to beat Ohio State.
He needs to trust himself and his staff in the clutch -- in his case, that he'll be able to answer a few questions off the cuff, without a dress rehearsal, after what would have been the biggest win of his tenure, now that it's stretched 10 years.
And he definitely needs to trust or encourage his staff to move to Plan B, C, D, E and F if that's what's needed, and it obviously was Saturday.
Once the Nits got to 0-for-7 on third-down, Franklin had to be tempted to cut off Mike Yurcich's microphone (for those 60-plus, I just can't resist a Sea Hunt reference with Mike Nelson/Lloyd Bridges cutting off somebody's air supply while wrestling under water.)
Or at the very least stuck in Beau Pribula for a couple situational plays -- something championship programs shouldn't be afraid to do.
Instead, Franklin says the staff is working on getting Pribula and Allar on the field at the same time, maybe this week (vs. Indiana), like that will matter.
All, though, is not lost. Though the way Penn State loses some of its big games is more deflating than the losses themselves, this was a team many predicted to be 11-1.
That's still in play.
Who knows what Michigan's state of mind will be when it arrives on Nov. 11?
The FBI and NCAA investigating the alleged sign stealing is unlikely to end well, and it's almost impossible to believe Jim Harbaugh will be coaching the Wolverines next season -- if he's not suspended soon or later this year. The fallout could well extend to 2024.
Penn State has enough talent to negotiate these next two seasons and make a playoff run -- credit Franklin for that -- but it also had enough talent to win last Saturday.
The Lions just need much better big-game leadership from a head coach who isn't worried about what he might say when he finally wins the game that tops his job description.
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.