“Another dose of reality puts Penn State, James Franklin atop college football Misery Index”—Dan Wolken, USA Today

This article speaks the truth for most PSU fans and other observers of college football.

The best advice you can give a college coach is to change jobs every seven or eight years, if they’re lucky enough to make it that long. It doesn’t apply in every case, of course. There’s a separate category for coaches who win national championships, though they aren’t necessarily immune either. Coaches who regularly punch above their weight at programs that don't expect titles might have it best of all in this business because they can usually stay as long as they want. 

But if you're at a top-shelf place and you’re good but constantly falling short of the ultimate goal in the same way over and over again, you’re always on a timer. Even if the school doesn’t really want to fire you, the fans eventually tire of you. And even with all the money being deposited in your bank account, it’s not the best quality of life. 

Meet James Franklin, the coach at Penn State. He’s had some good stretches. He’s had a few down periods. But mainly, he’s just kind of achieved at the same level for 10 years. And that level isn’t Ohio State or Michigan's level…

Is that good enough? [In my first post on the game yesterday I wrote plainly, “James Franklin isn’t good enough”.] Penn State needs to beat those teams now and then. And Saturday seemed like a good chance, with Ohio State somewhat diminished from the offensive monster they were the last few years and Penn State sporting the best defense it’s had under Franklin. This year might have been as even as the overall talent has ever been. 

And for all that, Franklin’s team didn’t even really show up. …

[That was the first thing that my Big Brother, a PSU fan, said when we talked yesterday.]

In other words, the overall picture is more or less the same for Penn State as it was six or seven years ago once Franklin got the program rolling. Whether they’re right or wrong, how long until the people at Penn State just want something … different? 

[He is signed to a 10-year contract, so at least ten years.]

The romance in college football is often in the hope and the unknown, [absolutely correct] but that’s gone at Penn State. [absolutely correct] They know what the program is and isn’t under Franklin. At this point, fans could probably predict almost word-for-word what he’s going to say at his press conference. 

And it’s all really good. But as Saturday’s performance showed, still not good enough.