James Franklin responds to questions about outside distractions influencing Penn State's season

After Michigan came away from a 21-17 win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin faced the expected criticism about winning against Top 10 opponents.

Despite outscoring Michigan in the fourth quarter, the loss was but another disappointment for Franklin in a big game situation. Franklin is now 2-13 when facing top 10 opponents while at Penn State.

Because of rumors relating to a potential move out of Penn State for another job opening — most notably USC — some have wondered if the distractions have impacted the program. Franklin responded to those questions.

Franklin on outside distractions for him: "We've been in the same situation before and have had really strong seasons…I get, people are trying to connect the dots there. All the things I'm able to control, I'm controlling."

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) November 16, 2021

"Looking at my track record over my time here — eight years — my actions, my behaviors, have been pretty consistent since I've been here."

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) November 16, 2021

Their 6-4 record keeps the Nittany Lions bowl eligible, but the result is certainly a disappointment considering expectations heading into the season.

Just over a month ago, Penn State ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 poll and squared off against No. 3 Iowa in Iowa City. While the 23-20 score in favor of the Hawkeyes is the bottom line, the 10 points the Nittany Lions allowed in the fourth quarter seemed to be the cliff they fell off of. Two more losses followed, with a 20-18, 9 OT upset loss to Illinois followed by a 33-24 loss to Ohio State.

The Nittany Lions welcome Rutgers to University Park on Saturday, Nov. 20 for an 11:00 AM kickoff. They finish the season against rival No. 7 Michigan State in East Lansing the following week.