It’s not about how you start, but how you finish. At least that’s what James Franklin wants everyone to believe.
Penn State beat Wisconsin 38-31 in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday to win the conference. They came back from down 28-7 in the second quarter and put up 24 points in the second half. Not only did they come back in that game, but they also came back from a 2-2 start to win nine straight, making them 11-2.
After the game, Franklin was asked about the College Football Playoff and urged everyone to focus on how his Nittany Lions finished.
“Let’s stop talking about the 2-2 and let’s start talking about the last nine games,” Franklin told FOX.
He then challenged the selection committee to consider what the Nittany Lions have done.
“What I do know is we just won the toughest conference in college football. We’ve won nine straight. They say you’re allowed to overcome early setbacks — we’ve done that. It’s on you now, the committee.”
Despite the conference championship, there is no guarantee Penn State will make the playoff. Alabama at 13-0 is a lock, while ACC champion Clemson likely is in. The bigger questions are what will happen with Washington and the Big Ten teams. You have to figure Michigan — and certainly Wisconsin — are out now, but what about Ohio State and Penn State? Ohio State is 11-1 and has an impressive resume, but they lost to Penn State. Penn State beat Ohio State and has won nine in a row, but they’ve lost two games. And the Huskies are 12-1 with big road wins over Stanford, Utah and Washington State, and a win in the Pac-12 championship over Colorado, but they have a weak non-conference schedule.
