INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State is the Big Ten champion.
And while historically, that might not be the most surprising phrase in the world, recent history makes that accomplishment almost absolutely unbelievable.
James Franklin arrived in State College less than three years ago, succeeding Bill O'Brien and taking over a program that was entangled in the after effects of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, with sanctions imposed by the NCAA that included severe scholarship limits and a bowl ban, among other things. Meanwhile, there were plenty of after effects that weren’t being imposed by the NCAA but by a large number of Penn State fans, mostly criticisms of the university’s attitude toward longtime coach Joe Paterno and why the crippling results of the scandal hadn’t been quickly overcome.
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There was a lot working against Franklin’s team, both inside and outside the Penn State community, and while also competing in a division with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State, it seemed winning — at least winning big — was a long way off. Franklin’s first two seasons ended in 7-6 finishes and trips to low-level bowl games. And that looked like success, given the circumstances.
But fast forward to Saturday night in Indy, where Franklin got to hoist the Big Ten championship trophy. Perhaps a trip to the College Football Playoff could follow Sunday.
Nobody could’ve predicted this. Nobody did.
It’s amazing, really, this 11-2 season that’s featured a win over second-ranked Ohio State and a conference championship. What's more amazing is the timeline, that this journey has reached this point this fast.
Big Ten
“You know, it's hard for me to think about it as just this season,” Franklin said. “It's been a challenging three years. I’ve learned a lot about myself. Learned a lot about my family. I've learned a lot about this community and the men in that locker room, the coaches, the players, the doctors, the trainers, everybody. So for me it's not just the season. It's all the hard work and all the positive steps that we've been taking for three years. It didn't always seem that way maybe to others, but we felt that way. It wasn't easy. Those steps weren't downhill. Those steps were up Mount Nittany. And that's kind of how I look at it.”
Franklin was under a great deal of pressure as recently as early on this season, when after a 2-2 start his athletics director had to provide a vote of confidence in the face of questions about his job status. Restless fans who perhaps didn’t fully appreciate the challenges that came with digging the program out from under the weight of the scandal were demanding winning football.
Well, how’s this for winning football?
Franklin’s been the focal point because he’s the head coach, but the players have had to deal with these challenges, as well. Franklin’s decisions to redshirt guys who could’ve helped the team earlier in his tenure with the hope of future success meant hovering around .500 in each of the past two seasons. That also meant decreased depth in practice and on the roster in general. It meant a lot of players having to learn on the fly. Now that work has paid off. In the form of a championship.
“It’s a great culmination of all the hard work and effort we’ve put in over the past five years as a family,” center Brian Gaia said. “(We’ve been) through two different coaches. It doesn’t matter, we play for each other. And then we start buying in, start playing for everyone in the program. It’s just a culmination of that today, a championship.”
And now maybe that division within the fan base can cease, too. Instead of worrying about how the university should treat the legacy of Paterno, those fans can start recognizing the legacy Franklin is building.
But most of all, Saturday's win is a gargantuan accomplishment for this team and this group of players to block out the noise and all the extra stuff that comes with being Penn State, stuff other programs don’t have to deal with, and win.
They’ve won nine games in a row. And now they’re the kings of the Big Ten.
“It means a lot. For this community, for Penn Staters past, present and in the future. It really is transforming this university, and it’s bringing a sense of happiness to this school,” wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton said. “All the things that we’ve been through and all the things that we’re still kind of going through, we were able to overcome all of that. And for us to still be a family after all of that and seeing guys really care so much about each other and so much about this team, it is obviously why we’re in the situation we’re in right now.”