Penn State is two wins shy of a National Championship, under James Franklin, and it’s past time that the narrative about the Nittany Lions’ performance in “big games” changes.

Franklin is now 2-0 in the #CFBPlayoff beating the No. 10 and No. 9 teams, nationally, by a margin of 45 points combined.

While Franklin is now 5-19 against top-10 teams, 12 of those losses came to Michigan and Ohio State, who have only lost 31 games combined since 2014. He’s never lost as a favorite in those games.

Drew Allar is also the premier quarterback that Franklin has had in Happy Valley, and the only 5-star at the position in his tenure.

The job isn’t finished, but given the resources the University has recently poured into the program, the pieces are in place for Franklin and Penn State to break through into the elite tier. I’d argue over the past two games that they have.

Franklin took a program on death’s door to 100 victories, two Playoff wins, and 4 top-10 finishes, and is now just two wins away from becoming the first African American head coach to win a National Championship, which he has said is a personal goal of his.

This season has shown the difference an elite quarterback makes on the trajectory of a college football program, and Franklin has a roster capable of winning it all, while showing a willingness to be more aggressive in games as each gains magnitude.

It’s time to start paying real appreciation for what is being built in Happy Valley.