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Frustration continues vs the big boys

UNIVERSITY PARK ­— This was an eerily-similar rerun of the Ohio State game. The Nittany Lions mustered almost nothing offensively against the Buckeyes, and that was exactly the case on an otherwise glorious football Saturday as they lost to Michigan, 24-15, at Beaver Stadium. So Penn ...

Nittany Lions pass their pre-Michigan test

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Penn State standout offensive tackle Olu Fashanu didn’t think it was a coincidence that the Nittany Lions played their best offensive game of the season Saturday in destroying Maryland, 51-15. “November is the month of champions,” Fashanu said. “This game is a ...

Here’s Maryland’s chance to create a rivalry

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Penn State has billed itself as “unrivaled” since it has no true rival in the Big Ten and no protected rivals with future conference schedules. In announcing the 2024 schedule on Thursday, which includes the Terrapins as Penn State’s regular-season finale, the Big Ten Network suggested the teams could become rivals because they share important recruiting turf. Maryland, of course, would like nothing better than to claim the Lions as their top rival. Same with Rutgers as PSU is the biggest game on the Scarlet Knights’ schedule, ...

Franklin must practice showing vs telling

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, ...

Lions’ offensive showing is cryin’ shame

Drew Allar didn’t try to hide his emotions. The Nittany Lions’ quarterback was in tears following Penn State’s 20-12 loss to Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium. Allar was well aware that he and the offense were almost entirely responsible for the outcome. He didn’t ...

Franklin’s time to end Buckeye streak is here

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com This is the biggest game of James Franklin’s career. Franklin is the common denominator in the Nittany Lions’ 1-8 record against Ohio State. He’s had different coordinators on both sides of the ball, different quarterbacks and different standout players, and with the exception of Grant Haley’s return of Marcus Allen’s blocked field goal, a springboard to the Big Ten championship, the Lions have come up short every time. They’ve been close with a couple gut-wrenching come-from-ahead losses, and despite playing the Buckeyes ...