Part 5/11:
Following the Oregon game, Penn State suffered further embarrassment—blowing a significant lead against UCLA, a team that had fired its coach just weeks earlier, resulting in a humiliating 30-point surrender and a loss. Franklin’s subsequent comments, emphasizing a focus solely on an upcoming game against Northwestern, illustrated a team in disarray—the kind of rudderless ship that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
In an unprecedented event, Penn State became the first team in college football history to lose as a 20-point favorite in back-to-back weeks. The alarming trend raised serious questions about the program’s direction and accountability.