James Franklin is tired of being misinterpreted.

Last year, after Penn State defeated in-state rival Pitt, Franklin sat down for his post-game interview and uttered a phrase that continues to follow him.

“I know last year for their win it was like the Super Bowl. But for us, this was just like beating Akron.”

As we like to say back in my home state of Indiana, “them’s fightin’ words.”

Given the chance to clarify, Franklin said “I’ve been saying for two years, that each win is like the Super Bowl for us…each win stands alone.”

Fast forward to 2018 and the week of Penn State’s rivalry showdown with Pitt. Franklin is still being about his comments last year and how he feels about the matchup with the Panthers.

“I still think it’s being misinterpreted,” Franklin said during his weekly press conference. “This is the biggest game in the world. This is the Super Bowl for us. It is the most important game on our schedule. Why? Because it’s the game we’re playing this week.

“This week is a huge game for us, I’ve never denied that from the very beginning. This is the most important game on our schedule. It’s the Super Bowl. Most important game in the universe. I don’t know how much clearer I can be on that.”

Franklin’s response about his attitude towards Pitt actually spilled over into a two-minute clip, which can be viewed below.

Penn State and Pitt square off at Heinz Field on Saturday night in a primetime rivalry game.