DisruptU PSU Presents Quite Franklin With LaVar Arrington And Coach James Franklin. In this conversation, LaVar Arrington and Coach James Franklin discuss the recent game versus USC along with, the importance of momentum, strategies for the upcoming bye week, and the challenges of playing at Camp Randall Stadium. They also delve into the expectations placed on the Penn State football program and how they navigate the pressures of coaching at a high level.
Takeaways
•The emotional intensity of the recent game mirrored past experiences.
•Winning in tough environments builds confidence for future games.
•Maintaining focus on improvement is crucial for team success.
•The kicking game proved to be a significant factor in the win.
•The bye week is an opportunity to recover and strategize.
•Past experiences in hostile environments can aid in preparation.
•Health and strategic management of player reps are essential.
•High expectations are embraced as part of the coaching role.
•Comparing performance to historical standards provides perspective.
•Creating a winning culture is vital for attracting top talent.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up? Everybody's LeVar Arrington here coming to you with
another exciting edition of Quite Franklin with coach James Franklin.
That's right. We're gonna talk big win out of USC
going into a bye week. We're gonna talk going into Madison,
Wisconsin to play against the Badgers. We're gonna also finish
up the show with a candid conversation and response about
(00:23):
the mounting pressure of winning during the course of the
season and not losing, not losing at all. How does
coach Franklin handle the pressures of being successful in Happy Valley.
We're going to tackle those questions right now and Quite Franklin,
here we go. Buckle up, Hey, how you feel it?
(00:53):
How's everything?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Good? All right? Cause you saved that You either you
were under the weather last time I talked to you
or you it seemed like you might have been under
the weather, but it could have been that like it
might have been warrior mode. It might have been war
mode and were going to the coliseum as gladiators to
see what we got and see what we can do.
(01:17):
What was your takeaway from that game? Because I didn't
talk to you after that game, but that was such
a I'll say this. I remember in ninety nine, my
last year in school, we went to the Orange Bowl
to play the Hurricanes, and it was a build up game.
(01:37):
They were just coming off of probation. They were loaded,
they had players all over the place, and we beat
them in a thriller like it was SHAFEI got a
pass from from KT and he beat Mike Rumf and
Ad Reid to ice them. This was one of them
(02:01):
games where it's like the emotions of it felt the
same way I felt when I was a player playing
in that game. It was like, why am I not panicking?
I'm watching you guys and we are down big, But
I didn't panic like I didn't feel like there was
(02:22):
a panic. I felt like, some way, somehow, we are
going to get back in this game, and we're going
to find a way to win this game. There was
some real tense moments. Is what's your takeaway from this game? Coach?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I think, first of all, I mean, right now,
nobody wants to hear this because of the way their
last three games have gone. But that is a talented team,
that's a talented roster, and we're you know, at their
place home field, advantage. I thought the environment was better
than I thought it was going to be. Although I
(02:57):
think there was a large number of Penn State fans there.
Did think it was louder than I expected it to
be in there. It was cool coming out of that
tunnel and then seeing the you know, the torch and yeah,
which I thought that was cool. But you know, I
think to your point, I think you gotta find ways
(03:18):
to win games like that. And I thought I thought Drew,
although he really had the two interceptions, I I don't
think Drew ever waivered. I thought his demeanor was great.
I thought his confidence was great. I thought Julian Fleming
coming up on those two fourth down stops was huge.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
After some drops early on, like he could have he
could have packed his tent and rolled out, but that
was a character like that show care.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Jay Reid always comes through with it with a play.
So to me, that was one of those games where
you know, we made it more difficult than it needed
to be, but against a talented roster, we were still
able to put them away. And then I think the
other thing that showed up in that game that we
hadn't really seen is the kicking game. To have a
field goal kicker, you know, make those type of kicks
(04:12):
in that type of moment. I think that's going to
pay pay a lot of dividends for US moving forward.
So big win. And then as you know, just you know,
there was a ton of recruits there in a part
of the country that may open up to us as well.
You know, obviously we got a couple commits you know
from California right now, some high end guys. But then
(04:35):
when you win that type of game in that environment
with a bunch of recruits at the game, that's going
to help as well. So a lot of different reasons
why I think that was a really good and important
win for US.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Coach, you guys have the one and O mentality, that's
the approach one and oh one and O two part
question here, how do you take momentum, if at all,
from a game like that, Because I feel like you
build momentum on the fact that one you're undefeated and
(05:06):
then two to win a game with those circumstances that
you just mentioned, that's big and that could be a
momentum builder. But when you're a one to no mentality team,
how do you take that into the next game? Like,
what's the balance if any on that, and then when
you have a bye week, how does that how do
(05:28):
you if you're taking that momentum, how do you write
that momentum through a bye week into the to the
next opponent.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Well, it's our belief and my belief that I think
the confidence comes from winning those type of games in
those type of environments.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So that's happening.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And then as you know, it's not like I can
shut down the families and the friends and the people
on campus and the media, and a lot of these
guys are getting padded on the back. So I think
the confidence happens without us having to feel like we
got to build on it. What I'm trying to do
is try to control the things that we can control
(06:10):
and keep them focused on just getting better, Like we
just got to get better this week. You know the
Nick Saban whole rat poison thing, Like when you feel
like you've arrived and you got there, then that's why
you that's where you end up getting your ass beat.
So it's like the confidence I think will naturally just
come from having success. What I'm trying to do is
(06:34):
tune all the rest of the stuff out and keep
the team just focused on getting better, because if we
just get better individually as offense, defense, special teams, and
then as a team, if we just continue to get
better as the season goes on, then we're going to
be difficult to deal with. But the minute we feel like, ah,
(06:54):
we've kind of arrived and we got this figured out.
In our conference, Wisconsin's just won the last three games
and is playing their best football right now. Our conference
is good enough that if you don't have your stuff
buttoned up and you ain't laser focused on the task
at hand and getting better, then you're gonna get humbled quickly.
(07:15):
So I just do everything in my power to try
to keep us focused on those things and keep it
narrow focused on just getting better.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You mentioned Wisconsin Madison is always hard to play in.
It's just a it's a can't Randall is just one
of them places. It's just hard to play in that environment.
I enjoyed it, but it just seems like it's just
one of them places people say it's hard to play
in and they are playing good football right now. Coach, So,
(07:46):
does do you feel like there was an experience in
terms of we know we can go on the road
and win in a hostile environment coming off of a
win as fresh as the USC when and how does
that play into going against that? As you mentioned a
team that's doing well, it's a Big ten team, and
(08:07):
it's one of those teams that they I mean, they
generally are the ones that represent the other side have
historically represented the other side of it. Outside of well, Michigan,
Ohio State, and Penn State, it's like those three and
then it's Wisconsin or Iowa over here. Right, So this
(08:27):
is like the way I look at it. We're playing
a top top, a top tier team. Do you feel
like that that the size of the weight of this game?
Do you feel like you guys are embracing that, like
understand the magnitude of going to Madison and winning a
game in Camp Randall.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
What's your record at Camp Randall, oh to one? Yeah,
it's it's a tough place to play.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
To you and one versus Wisconsin. But to the point,
we lost to them in Wisconsin. All our losses when
I was in school generally took place when we played
them there. Michigan State lost there. You know, we lost
Michigan everywhere, but we lost Ohio State beat Ohio State
(09:21):
twice at home but lost to them in Ohio State.
So it's hard to play on the road.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, And I didn't know, and that's why I was asking.
I think me and you have talked a bunch about like,
you know, when when people talk about the past, it
comes off sometimes where you guys never.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Like we did better than y'all.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, our last national title was in the eighties, coach,
So your team, your team, my team, our team the eighties.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
That's right. So it's just interesting perspective to me. And
then I think the other reason I bring that up
is it's not just on the road. It's on the
road at night, and they're gonna be drinking beer, eating
cheese curds and brats, and they're gonna be ready to go.
I think to your point though, I think it does
help us going on the road to West Virginia to
(10:16):
open this season, and although West Virginia's had their struggles
right now, atmosphere, they were coming off a nine win season.
They were confident as heck and it was gonna be
a tough environment. Then go into USC and being able
to do so those experiences I think help. Also the
last time we went to Wisconsin, it wasn't a night game,
(10:37):
but we had some success and we got some guys
on our team that were part of that. The big
Jakwan brisker play to end the game in the two
minute drive down in the end zone. So I think
those things help. But at the end of the day,
it's gonna be about what we do Saturday night, and again,
we better be We better have our eyes dotted, our
te's crossed, and we better be buttoned up and ready
(10:58):
to go because they will be. And after the way
they've played the last three games, they're a confident football team.
We're playing.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
What is the health of the team right now? You
feel good where you guys are at? Confident and the
experience of the guys that are in here. You mentioned
a few that played there the last time you guys went.
How's the health of the team and how you feel
about where guys are at. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think early on as the season started, in training
camp and things like that, we had a decent amount
of injuries. And I think since then, knock on wood,
we've been in a better place. And then I think
last week during the bye week, I think our structure
allowed us to get healthy and recover and then the
other thing we did is like, okay, who are the
Vets and the Vets that have played a ton of
(11:46):
football at their career at Penn State and this season, Okay,
we got this modified plan, but then we also need
to modify these guys like sal Wormley's been playing here
since you played here, Like you know, we can we
can cut his reps down, Ty Warren, we can cut
his reps down. Like so, let's fish strategic within the
(12:08):
team as well to make sure coming out of us
by week we are fresher and we do feel really
good and got a chance to go play well and
play fast and play aggressive and play confident and can't Randall.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I'm gonna ask you this one and then I will
be done because you made me think of something here,
right so, because that was my last question, but I
gotta ask eighty eighty six, eighty four eighty six something
to that effect. That was our last national title. Like
you said, you asked me my record at at Camp Randall,
we lost there when I went there to play, do
(12:46):
you because everybody sits there and they'll they'll qualify you
and qualify you until they get the opportunity to try
to disqualify you and discredit you. And I think it's
one of the wildest things, ever, how unappreciative things get
when if something doesn't go, you know, the way that
(13:06):
it was supposed to go. And I think we all
know what I'm talking about. Does the pressure mount on you,
like for you personally, like where you're at with things,
you have so much success and you find yourself in
big game, you win the game, it would have been
easy for people to write you off as a coach
because that's what they try to do. If you had
(13:29):
lost the USC, you pulled through USC, does it like
for you, does that ever enter your mind? Like how
do you handle, you know, moving through Cause that's something
you just made me think about. Like it's curious to
me that you're judged on a level of you can't
lose a game, right, Like that's kind of it's kind
(13:50):
of wild. The expectation is welcomed. I love the expectation
of I think you're that good of a coach. But
at the end of the day, the realities that surround
being a coach is you take your wins and your
your losses. But it doesn't seem like you get that
type of leeway and knowing that, like, do you feel
(14:11):
like the TC coach? Do you do you feel like
do you feel like Denzel Washington at TC Williams you
can't lose a game? Or do you look at it
as like, you know, you take it game by game whatever?
It is, Like, I'm just curious because they hold you
to a we're at Alabama type deal, like like we've
won one hundred different you know, national titles. We don't
(14:32):
have any national titles in decades, so it's kind of
like for you to be held to that standard is
it's interesting because we haven't won anything, you know, so
it's kind of like, how do you handle that? Because
we do have a championship mentality, Penn State has a
national title mentality. We just haven't won any So I
(14:53):
don't know how that works. You're gonna have to teach
us how that works. Coach. How does that fall on you?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Well? What, I guess what I would say a couple things.
Number One, I embrace and love that I came to
a place that has these type of expectations. That's why
I came here, right, I came here for that. So
I embraced that one thousand percent and feel great about that.
I also love and respect the fact that we have
(15:19):
played well enough in my time at Penn State that
we're back part of these conversations. And I take great
pride in that that we've created the standard again at
Penn State, that we're in these conversations that people are frustrated,
you know that we're only winning ten and eleven games
(15:41):
a year, like so I take great pride in that,
and I think we've created that as well. We've created
a high expectation at a place that already had high expectations.
The other two things that I do that I think
helped me is I watch college football and I study
college football, and I see great programs that have not
(16:04):
won as consistently as we have won. And I see
great programs that have a struggle, that struggle doing what
we've been able to do in our eleven years. And
so I take a lot of pride in that. And
then I also make sure that I try to compare
apples to apples as much as I possibly can. So
(16:24):
I compare what we have done to our history since
joining the Big Ten, and I think I don't think
a lot of people have really done that. Compare Big
ten to big ten, and I think it's it would
be eye opening for a lot of.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
People because you've had a ton of success with your players.
These players are our players, They're part of our community.
They've become a part of our community because you've got
them to come to Penn State. I don't think people
realize how big that piece of it is in terms
of the type the caliber of player that you're able
(17:04):
to get to continuously come to Penn State. You're right,
it did create the conversation because for a time there
that was not that certainly was not a realistic conversation
to have. If you were having it, you you weren't
being realistic with yourself, you know, Coach, I appreciate that
candid answer. That's really all I have for you this week,
(17:25):
other than I wish you well, uh, you know, go
get it in Madison. Don't don't don't let the game
be too close when jump around comes on, is all
I'd say. And uh, you know, let's let's let's let's
make it happen. I see you on the other side.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I will say that winn in l A was for
you because I know walking around La it had been
it had been a tough week.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Man. Man, hey, look it went from it went because
I was getting it bad the whole entire time. I'm
getting it bad. It went from dang to y'all pay
the rent ucla USC, we own Southern California. Y'all paid
(18:10):
the lad lord the rent, and I get bragging rights
for a whole entire year. So thank you very much
for that. I do appreciate you giving me that because
it was going to be very bad for me on
the other side of it. But it's okay. I would
have handled it. We would have been good. Sure. Thanks
to Coach Franklin for the time, Thanks for the candid
(18:31):
conversation and really showing some vulnerability and some openness to
answering some some interesting questions. Some of these questions are
never easy, but that's why me and Coach have them,
because we're in a safe place. So thanks to the
coach for answering. Thank you guys for watching. Make sure
(18:52):
you check out Quite Franklin's with LeVar Orange and and
the Coach Coach Franklin every week to catch it here
go on just dirupt you PSU and you can always
check us out on the inner Web. You also can
go to our social media sites. Disrupt you PSU, and
at King of the Mammals, that would be me. King
(19:14):
of the Mammals, disrupt you, PSU. Make sure you check
us out. Go to the Penn State sites. You know
what it is, all right, all things Penn State, Penn
State football, all those things all right. Until next time,
I'm Leavar Arrington will check you out.
What's up? Everybody's LeVar Arrington here coming to you with
another exciting edition of Quite Franklin with coach James Franklin.
That's right. We're gonna talk big win out of USC
going into a bye week. We're gonna talk going into Madison,
Wisconsin to play against the Badgers. We're gonna also finish
up the show with a candid conversation and response about
(00:23):
the mounting pressure of winning during the course of the
season and not losing, not losing at all. How does
coach Franklin handle the pressures of being successful in Happy Valley.
We're going to tackle those questions right now and Quite Franklin,
here we go. Buckle up, Hey, how you feel it?
(00:53):
How's everything?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Good? All right? Cause you saved that You either you
were under the weather last time I talked to you
or you it seemed like you might have been under
the weather, but it could have been that like it
might have been warrior mode. It might have been war
mode and were going to the coliseum as gladiators to
see what we got and see what we can do.
(01:17):
What was your takeaway from that game? Because I didn't
talk to you after that game, but that was such
a I'll say this. I remember in ninety nine, my
last year in school, we went to the Orange Bowl
to play the Hurricanes, and it was a build up game.
(01:37):
They were just coming off of probation. They were loaded,
they had players all over the place, and we beat
them in a thriller like it was SHAFEI got a
pass from from KT and he beat Mike Rumf and
Ad Reid to ice them. This was one of them
(02:01):
games where it's like the emotions of it felt the
same way I felt when I was a player playing
in that game. It was like, why am I not panicking?
I'm watching you guys and we are down big, But
I didn't panic like I didn't feel like there was
(02:22):
a panic. I felt like, some way, somehow, we are
going to get back in this game, and we're going
to find a way to win this game. There was
some real tense moments. Is what's your takeaway from this game? Coach?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I think, first of all, I mean, right now,
nobody wants to hear this because of the way their
last three games have gone. But that is a talented team,
that's a talented roster, and we're you know, at their
place home field, advantage. I thought the environment was better
than I thought it was going to be. Although I
(02:57):
think there was a large number of Penn State fans there.
Did think it was louder than I expected it to
be in there. It was cool coming out of that
tunnel and then seeing the you know, the torch and yeah,
which I thought that was cool. But you know, I
think to your point, I think you gotta find ways
(03:18):
to win games like that. And I thought I thought Drew,
although he really had the two interceptions, I I don't
think Drew ever waivered. I thought his demeanor was great.
I thought his confidence was great. I thought Julian Fleming
coming up on those two fourth down stops was huge.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
After some drops early on, like he could have he
could have packed his tent and rolled out, but that
was a character like that show care.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Jay Reid always comes through with it with a play.
So to me, that was one of those games where
you know, we made it more difficult than it needed
to be, but against a talented roster, we were still
able to put them away. And then I think the
other thing that showed up in that game that we
hadn't really seen is the kicking game. To have a
field goal kicker, you know, make those type of kicks
(04:12):
in that type of moment. I think that's going to
pay pay a lot of dividends for US moving forward.
So big win. And then as you know, just you know,
there was a ton of recruits there in a part
of the country that may open up to us as well.
You know, obviously we got a couple commits you know
from California right now, some high end guys. But then
(04:35):
when you win that type of game in that environment
with a bunch of recruits at the game, that's going
to help as well. So a lot of different reasons
why I think that was a really good and important
win for US.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Coach, you guys have the one and O mentality, that's
the approach one and oh one and O two part
question here, how do you take momentum, if at all,
from a game like that, Because I feel like you
build momentum on the fact that one you're undefeated and
(05:06):
then two to win a game with those circumstances that
you just mentioned, that's big and that could be a
momentum builder. But when you're a one to no mentality team,
how do you take that into the next game? Like,
what's the balance if any on that, and then when
you have a bye week, how does that how do
(05:28):
you if you're taking that momentum, how do you write
that momentum through a bye week into the to the
next opponent.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Well, it's our belief and my belief that I think
the confidence comes from winning those type of games in
those type of environments.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So that's happening.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And then as you know, it's not like I can
shut down the families and the friends and the people
on campus and the media, and a lot of these
guys are getting padded on the back. So I think
the confidence happens without us having to feel like we
got to build on it. What I'm trying to do
is try to control the things that we can control
(06:10):
and keep them focused on just getting better, Like we
just got to get better this week. You know the
Nick Saban whole rat poison thing, Like when you feel
like you've arrived and you got there, then that's why
you that's where you end up getting your ass beat.
So it's like the confidence I think will naturally just
come from having success. What I'm trying to do is
(06:34):
tune all the rest of the stuff out and keep
the team just focused on getting better, because if we
just get better individually as offense, defense, special teams, and
then as a team, if we just continue to get
better as the season goes on, then we're going to
be difficult to deal with. But the minute we feel like, ah,
(06:54):
we've kind of arrived and we got this figured out.
In our conference, Wisconsin's just won the last three games
and is playing their best football right now. Our conference
is good enough that if you don't have your stuff
buttoned up and you ain't laser focused on the task
at hand and getting better, then you're gonna get humbled quickly.
(07:15):
So I just do everything in my power to try
to keep us focused on those things and keep it
narrow focused on just getting better.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You mentioned Wisconsin Madison is always hard to play in.
It's just a it's a can't Randall is just one
of them places. It's just hard to play in that environment.
I enjoyed it, but it just seems like it's just
one of them places people say it's hard to play
in and they are playing good football right now. Coach, So,
(07:46):
does do you feel like there was an experience in
terms of we know we can go on the road
and win in a hostile environment coming off of a
win as fresh as the USC when and how does
that play into going against that? As you mentioned a
team that's doing well, it's a Big ten team, and
(08:07):
it's one of those teams that they I mean, they
generally are the ones that represent the other side have
historically represented the other side of it. Outside of well, Michigan,
Ohio State, and Penn State, it's like those three and
then it's Wisconsin or Iowa over here. Right, So this
(08:27):
is like the way I look at it. We're playing
a top top, a top tier team. Do you feel
like that that the size of the weight of this game?
Do you feel like you guys are embracing that, like
understand the magnitude of going to Madison and winning a
game in Camp Randall.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
What's your record at Camp Randall, oh to one? Yeah,
it's it's a tough place to play.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
To you and one versus Wisconsin. But to the point,
we lost to them in Wisconsin. All our losses when
I was in school generally took place when we played
them there. Michigan State lost there. You know, we lost
Michigan everywhere, but we lost Ohio State beat Ohio State
(09:21):
twice at home but lost to them in Ohio State.
So it's hard to play on the road.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah, And I didn't know, and that's why I was asking.
I think me and you have talked a bunch about like,
you know, when when people talk about the past, it
comes off sometimes where you guys never.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Like we did better than y'all.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, our last national title was in the eighties, coach,
So your team, your team, my team, our team the eighties.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
That's right. So it's just interesting perspective to me. And
then I think the other reason I bring that up
is it's not just on the road. It's on the
road at night, and they're gonna be drinking beer, eating
cheese curds and brats, and they're gonna be ready to go.
I think to your point though, I think it does
help us going on the road to West Virginia to
(10:16):
open this season, and although West Virginia's had their struggles
right now, atmosphere, they were coming off a nine win season.
They were confident as heck and it was gonna be
a tough environment. Then go into USC and being able
to do so those experiences I think help. Also the
last time we went to Wisconsin, it wasn't a night game,
(10:37):
but we had some success and we got some guys
on our team that were part of that. The big
Jakwan brisker play to end the game in the two
minute drive down in the end zone. So I think
those things help. But at the end of the day,
it's gonna be about what we do Saturday night, and again,
we better be We better have our eyes dotted, our
te's crossed, and we better be buttoned up and ready
(10:58):
to go because they will be. And after the way
they've played the last three games, they're a confident football team.
We're playing.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
What is the health of the team right now? You
feel good where you guys are at? Confident and the
experience of the guys that are in here. You mentioned
a few that played there the last time you guys went.
How's the health of the team and how you feel
about where guys are at. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think early on as the season started, in training
camp and things like that, we had a decent amount
of injuries. And I think since then, knock on wood,
we've been in a better place. And then I think
last week during the bye week, I think our structure
allowed us to get healthy and recover and then the
other thing we did is like, okay, who are the
Vets and the Vets that have played a ton of
(11:46):
football at their career at Penn State and this season, Okay,
we got this modified plan, but then we also need
to modify these guys like sal Wormley's been playing here
since you played here, Like you know, we can we
can cut his reps down, Ty Warren, we can cut
his reps down. Like so, let's fish strategic within the
(12:08):
team as well to make sure coming out of us
by week we are fresher and we do feel really
good and got a chance to go play well and
play fast and play aggressive and play confident and can't Randall.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I'm gonna ask you this one and then I will
be done because you made me think of something here,
right so, because that was my last question, but I
gotta ask eighty eighty six, eighty four eighty six something
to that effect. That was our last national title. Like
you said, you asked me my record at at Camp Randall,
we lost there when I went there to play, do
(12:46):
you because everybody sits there and they'll they'll qualify you
and qualify you until they get the opportunity to try
to disqualify you and discredit you. And I think it's
one of the wildest things, ever, how unappreciative things get
when if something doesn't go, you know, the way that
(13:06):
it was supposed to go. And I think we all
know what I'm talking about. Does the pressure mount on you,
like for you personally, like where you're at with things,
you have so much success and you find yourself in
big game, you win the game, it would have been
easy for people to write you off as a coach
because that's what they try to do. If you had
(13:29):
lost the USC, you pulled through USC, does it like
for you, does that ever enter your mind? Like how
do you handle, you know, moving through Cause that's something
you just made me think about. Like it's curious to
me that you're judged on a level of you can't
lose a game, right, Like that's kind of it's kind
(13:50):
of wild. The expectation is welcomed. I love the expectation
of I think you're that good of a coach. But
at the end of the day, the realities that surround
being a coach is you take your wins and your
your losses. But it doesn't seem like you get that
type of leeway and knowing that, like, do you feel
(14:11):
like the TC coach? Do you do you feel like
do you feel like Denzel Washington at TC Williams you
can't lose a game? Or do you look at it
as like, you know, you take it game by game whatever?
It is, Like, I'm just curious because they hold you
to a we're at Alabama type deal, like like we've
won one hundred different you know, national titles. We don't
(14:32):
have any national titles in decades, so it's kind of
like for you to be held to that standard is
it's interesting because we haven't won anything, you know, so
it's kind of like, how do you handle that? Because
we do have a championship mentality, Penn State has a
national title mentality. We just haven't won any So I
(14:53):
don't know how that works. You're gonna have to teach
us how that works. Coach. How does that fall on you?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Well? What, I guess what I would say a couple things.
Number One, I embrace and love that I came to
a place that has these type of expectations. That's why
I came here, right, I came here for that. So
I embraced that one thousand percent and feel great about that.
I also love and respect the fact that we have
(15:19):
played well enough in my time at Penn State that
we're back part of these conversations. And I take great
pride in that that we've created the standard again at
Penn State, that we're in these conversations that people are frustrated,
you know that we're only winning ten and eleven games
(15:41):
a year, like so I take great pride in that,
and I think we've created that as well. We've created
a high expectation at a place that already had high expectations.
The other two things that I do that I think
helped me is I watch college football and I study
college football, and I see great programs that have not
(16:04):
won as consistently as we have won. And I see
great programs that have a struggle, that struggle doing what
we've been able to do in our eleven years. And
so I take a lot of pride in that. And
then I also make sure that I try to compare
apples to apples as much as I possibly can. So
(16:24):
I compare what we have done to our history since
joining the Big Ten, and I think I don't think
a lot of people have really done that. Compare Big
ten to big ten, and I think it's it would
be eye opening for a lot of.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
People because you've had a ton of success with your players.
These players are our players, They're part of our community.
They've become a part of our community because you've got
them to come to Penn State. I don't think people
realize how big that piece of it is in terms
of the type the caliber of player that you're able
(17:04):
to get to continuously come to Penn State. You're right,
it did create the conversation because for a time there
that was not that certainly was not a realistic conversation
to have. If you were having it, you you weren't
being realistic with yourself, you know, Coach, I appreciate that
candid answer. That's really all I have for you this week,
(17:25):
other than I wish you well, uh, you know, go
get it in Madison. Don't don't don't let the game
be too close when jump around comes on, is all
I'd say. And uh, you know, let's let's let's let's
make it happen. I see you on the other side.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I will say that winn in l A was for
you because I know walking around La it had been
it had been a tough week.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Man. Man, hey, look it went from it went because
I was getting it bad the whole entire time. I'm
getting it bad. It went from dang to y'all pay
the rent ucla USC, we own Southern California. Y'all paid
(18:10):
the lad lord the rent, and I get bragging rights
for a whole entire year. So thank you very much
for that. I do appreciate you giving me that because
it was going to be very bad for me on
the other side of it. But it's okay. I would
have handled it. We would have been good. Sure. Thanks
to Coach Franklin for the time, Thanks for the candid
(18:31):
conversation and really showing some vulnerability and some openness to
answering some some interesting questions. Some of these questions are
never easy, but that's why me and Coach have them,
because we're in a safe place. So thanks to the
coach for answering. Thank you guys for watching. Make sure
(18:52):
you check out Quite Franklin's with LeVar Orange and and
the Coach Coach Franklin every week to catch it here
go on just dirupt you PSU and you can always
check us out on the inner Web. You also can
go to our social media sites. Disrupt you PSU, and
at King of the Mammals, that would be me. King
(19:14):
of the Mammals, disrupt you, PSU. Make sure you check
us out. Go to the Penn State sites. You know
what it is, all right, all things Penn State, Penn
State football, all those things all right. Until next time,
I'm Leavar Arrington will check you out.
Host
LaVar Arrington
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