What is James Franklin's record vs top-10 ranked teams at Penn State?

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What is James Franklin's record vs top-10 ranked teams at Penn State?

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK · USA TODAY Sports

Sat, Sep 27, 2025 ·

4 min read

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Editor's Note: Penn State lost to Oregon in double overtime on Sept. 27 . Numbers below reflect record entering the game.

When James Franklin took over the Penn State football program in 2014, he did so as a well-regarded head coach after leading Vanderbilt to three successful seasons.

Since then, Franklin has not only further established himself but has quickly become one of the top college football coaches in the country, highlighted by his 104-42 record in 12 seasons in Happy Valley — which is tied for second most win by a head coach in program history , only behind Joe Paterno — but taken the program to new heights, like its first College Football Playoff berth last year.

Despite all those wins and returning the program back to its national pedigree as one of college football's biggest brands, the 53 year old Franklin has had a consistent flaw in his career: he can't win the big game or beating a top-10 ranked opponent.

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It's a small, but yet big, part of Franklin's coaching career that was on full display last season, as the Nittany Lions dropped their eighth straight game to No. 4 Ohio State in the regular season and then coughed up an opportunity to appear in the CFP championship game in the Orange Bowl against No. 5 Note Dame.

It's a storyline that is expected to be brought up a healthy amount of times on Saturday on NBC's broadcast, as the second-ranked Nittany Lions host No. 5 Oregon under the lights at Beaver Stadium in their annual White Out Game. Franklin and Penn State fell to the Ducks in the Big Ten championship game last season 45-37, one of its three losses against a ranked opponent last year.

Here's a closer look at how Franklin has fared against top-25, top-10 and top-five ranked opponents at Penn State:

James Franklin record vs ranked opponents

Record vs ranked opponents (Vanderbilt + Penn State combined):16-36

In his 15 seasons as a head coach, which includes a three year stint at Vanderbilt from 2011 through 2013, Franklin's teams have gone a combined 16-36 against ranked opponents. He went 1-8 against ranked opponents in the SEC with the Commodores , with that lone win coming against No. 13 Georgia in 2013.

Here's a breakdown of how Franklin has fared against ranked opponents at Vanderbilt and Penn State:

Vanderbilt (2011-2013):1-8
Penn State (2013-Present):15-28

James Franklin record at Penn State vs ranked opponents

Record vs. ranked opponents:15-28

In his now 12 seasons in State College, Penn State is 15-28 all-time against ranked opponents under Franklin.

Franklin's best season with the Nittany Lions against ranked opponents came in 2019. That season, Penn State went 4-2 against ranked opponents, with wins against Michigan , Iowa , Indiana and Memphis while it sustained losses to its Big Ten rival in Ohio State and Minnesota . The Nittany Lions' win against Memphis came in the Cotton Bowl when Journey Brown ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Last season, the Nittany Lions went 2-3 against ranked opponents, with those two ranked wins coming against then-No. 12 Illinois in the regular season and then No. 8 Boise State in the College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl quarterfinals.

Here's a season-by-season breakdown of how Penn State has fared against a ranked opponent under Franklin:

2014:0-2
2015:0-3
2016:2-2
2017:2-2
2018:1-3
2019:4-2
2020:0-1
2021:2-5
2022:1-2
2023:1-3
2024:2-3

James Franklin record at Penn State vs top-10 ranked opponents

Record vs top-10 ranked opponents:4-20

Of the 43 games that Franklin has faced a ranked opponent at Penn State, Franklin has gone 4-20 when those opponents were a top-10 ranked team. Most of Franklin's losses against a top-10 team have come against either Ohio State and Michigan, as he is 1-13 combined against the Buckeyes and the Wolverines with that ranking filter.

Two of those four wins against a top-10 opponent came in 2016 when Penn State knocked off No. 2 Ohio State in the regular season and No. 6 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal for a 60-yard touchdown return late in the fourth quarter against Ohio State to hand Franklin his first ranked win at Penn State. While in the Big Ten championship game, Trace McSorley led the Nittany Lions to a historic comeback 38-31 win for their first Big Ten championship game title after trailing 28-14 at halftime.

Here's a season-by-season breakdown of how Penn State has fared against a top-10 ranked opponent under Franklin:

2014:0-1
2015:0-2
2016:2-2
2017:0-1
2018:0-2
2019:0-1
2020:0-1
2021:0-3
2022: 1-2
2023:0-2
2024:1-3

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Franklin record at Penn State against top-25, top-10 teams

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