Penn State is now 4-20 against Top 10 opponents under head coach James Franklin after the Nittany Lions fell 27-24 to Notre Dame in the College

Penn State stepped under the bright lights, desperate to vanquish Notre Dame and advance to the national championship. A semifinals appearance in the College Football Playoff did not vindicate its past high-stakes failures.

James Franklin is a good college football coach on paper. Just look at his overall stats at Penn State as their head coach for the past 11 years: 101-41 overall. Bowl appearances in all but one of his years (and that year happened to be 2020).

MIAMI — Penn State went 60 minutes and 12 rounds with Notre Dame on Thursday night with a berth to the national championship on the line. And for most of the Orange Bowl, the Nittany Lions played well enough to get the job done.

Another big game, another loss for Penn State head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 27-24 on Thursday, coming up one victory short in their quest for a national championship berth.

Penn State lost 27-24 in an instant classic against Notre Dame on Thursday night in a College Football Playoff semifinal at Hard Rock Stadium. With the Orange Bowl loss, the Nittany Lions’ memorable season comes to an end with a 13-3 record.