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Is this a must-win game this weekend for James Franklin?
The time is now. This is the game. This is the moment.
If James Franklin can't deliver, then the long-standing national narrative about him being a failure in big games will continue.
At this point in his Penn State tenure, I'd argue that the No. 1 thing Franklin is known for by the masses is just that -- he can't win the big game.
All the success, all the wins in other games, sure, those are important. Very important.
Franklin is a really good coach. He's done a lot of good at Penn State.
But boy oh boy, what if Franklin could actually win this game?
I'm not even joking when I say he would become a national hero in college football.
He would have beaten those (alleged) cheaters from Michigan!!!!!
He would have done the entire college football world a giant favor by taking down the Wolverines, who are pretty much reviled across the sport.
Think of all the goodwill Franklin could earn by winning this particular big game. He and Penn State would be the talk of the nation, and you can't put a price tag on how valuable all of that would be the for the coach and program.
That's the intangible reason why this is a must-win situation for Franklin.
Here's the football-specific reason: Winning this game could put Penn State about as close as its been to a possible national title since 1994.
If the Lions beat Michigan and then Michigan beats Ohio State in a couple of weeks, Penn State would have a tremendous chance to win the Big Ten East and go to the conference championship game. There it likely would face Iowa, and a win should — that's should — get the Lions into the College Football Playoff.
There is no great team in college football this year. Georgia, Florida State, Washington, they're all beatable, as is everyone else.
If Penn State can find a way to beat Michigan and get into the playoff, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Lions could win it all.
But all of that disappears if PSU loses this weekend.
Furthermore, I think next year's team will suffer a dropoff, losing key stars such as Chop Robinson, Kalen King and Olu Fashanu, as well as possibly defensive wizard Manny Diaz.
I don't think Penn State will have a very good shot at all to win the national title next year. The Lions should make the 12-team playoff, but that's no given playing a very difficult schedule.
So, this game against Michigan at least offers hope for a playoff berth and even a natty.
Franklin needs to prove that he can take the next step with the program. Well, here's that step.
Win the game, silence the critics and you're on the verge of being elite.
Lose this game, and it's same old, same old for Franklin: He'll be viewed as a good coach who wilts on the biggest stage.
By the way, my pick is Michigan 27, Penn State 17. So, I foresee the Franklin big-game failure narrative continuing.
Cory Giger covers Penn State for DK Pittsburgh Sports and hosts "Sports Central" weekdays from 4 to 5 p.m. on 96.1 Hank FM.