Penn State reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, but big missteps in big moments led to a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Just like that, a promising season ends in the semifinals — one win away from a national championship appearance.
Penn State (13-3) built a 10-0 lead, watched it evaporate and then traded jabs in a classic, back-and-forth fourth quarter that ultimately ended with Drew Allar throwing the game away with an interception. He entered the night with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in Penn State history and had some NFL Draft analysts wondering if he should forgo another year in college, but he didn’t look the part of a big-game quarterback, let alone an NFL star.
Making matters more frustrating: the Nittany Lions couldn’t get much going offensively outside of tight end Tyler Warren, who is NFL Draft-bound after a 105-catch season, and running back Nick Singleton, another PSU star who could be headed to the pros. For Singleton and other members of a vaunted 2022 recruiting class that ranked No. 8 nationally, this season saw the fulfillment of expectations as the Nittany Lions made history in reaching the CFP and winning two games. But as the jewels of that class head off to the NFL, it’s relevant to note Franklin has not recruited nearly as well in the time since. Does that mean a regression is coming?
It’s been the same ol’ story for the Nittany Lions over the last decade. They look like national contenders, only to fold in the biggest games of the season — and it’s not always for the same reasons or poor performances by certain players. Like water, the problems that plague Penn State can never be pinned down.
Penn State rushed for 204 yards and seemed…
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