Penn State head coach James Franklin met with the media for the first time this week on Sunday afternoon as the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions prepare to take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday evening in Indianapolis.
Here's everything that Franklin had to say on Sunday.
OPENING STATEMENT:
Just excited about the opportunity obviously to represent Penn State and our fans and our Letterman and come to Indianapolis and have a chance to compete against an unbelievable opponent in Oregon and Coach Lanning has done a great job there. And you know, we're excited about the opportunity. So a lot of work to do this week, you know, we're we're in here today, obviously making corrections from last week and and getting a head start on Oregon. But looking forward, the opportunity to compete.
When you see Oregon play when you've seen Oregon play, what impresses you about their front 7 on defense?
As you can imagine, you know, rich, this is early in the process at this at this stage. We've really just started to watch them have cleaned up, have cleaned up our game from, you know, this past weekend against Maryland and have just started to to, you know, to study Oregon. So at this stage, I know they've, they've obviously done a really good job of team defense. I know they've been disruptive. Upfront but for me to get into the details with you right now, you know, I just, I don't feel I don't feel positioned to do that yet
Just curious if there's anything you can share with us about Trey being able to warm up yesterday, Trey Wallace, but not playing. And then just in general, your receivers, how you felt they played yesterday throughout the course of that game, both when you had the ones in and then when you had the three and fours in later in the game?
I was pleased with the wide receivers overall and I keep pushing each week to to make sure that you know, we're continuing to get those guys as many opportunities as possible. It's going to be really important for us. You know, as the as the season goes on so that that position and the development of that position and the production of that. Position is is been priority number one really all offseason and and all season. So overall pleased Trey, you know, tweak something during the week. And was not able to go, but we are hopeful you know that he'll be able to go this week, but too early in the week to really tell but was unable to to go this past week.
Been eight years since you had a, you know, a a game kind of thrown your way that you earned, that you had this limited time to prepare for, relatively speaking, how does this game week need to look different for you guys versus games that you've had? You've known you were gonna have for months or or, you know, maybe years at a time in advance?
Nothing has really changed. I mean, we're going to follow our our normal week prep. You know there's sometimes when you have a buy week or you got a a game that you're planning for ahead of time that you get a little bit of extra work on. But for us, you know, we stay pretty dialed in on the the task at hand, have some staff that late in the week can work ahead, obviously weren't able to do that this week. But you know we're we're just kind of turning the page right now and. And move it on to Oregon, but not a whole lot will change except for like the normal adjustments you like. You make late in the season. What you're trying to do, as much as you possibly can to have the guys ready to play, but also making some adjustments and some modifications as the season goes on to make sure that we're as fresh and as healthy as possible.
Oregon might have the best defensive line. You will see all year with you. You have some injuries on your offensive line, so two-part question, how do you approach this match up with where they have a very athletic and freakish defensive line? That can do very exotic things, and two, how? How do you how do you assess how you throughout your time at Penn State, how has the trench game been built up under coach trout wine?
So again, at at this stage and I don't have the time, haven't haven't had the time to to watch Oregon thoroughly enough to have strong opinions, but obviously I know how they've recruited and I know how they've developed and I look at statistically where they're at and I've seen a little bit of game film on them, but. You know, I think you know, Dan comes from a similar background that I that I've come from and the belief that you, you start up front, you got to win football games up front on the O line and D line they've done a good job of that and you know that's going to be important. Coach Trautwein done a really good job since he's been with us. We've gotten better every single year. We do have some moving parts this year with some injuries. Not ideal, but you know that that'll be a major focus this week and moving forward and, and then also there's things that we're going to have to do in terms of how you call. The game to be able to help those guys too, so a lot of things kind of go into it. You know, we have a lot of confidence in our alignment and how they're going to play, but there's also some things that that you need to do schematically to put them in an advantageous position.
Oregon is kind of the the new kid on the block, so to speak, in the Big 10 this year. Obviously as an established Big 10 member, what does it kind of say to you for them to be able to go undefeated in the conference and what does that say to you about the coaching staff?
Oregon's, you know, been doing a good job for for a long time now. You know, under a number of different coaches and dance taking it to the next level. They've done a phenomenal job. It's also a place with tremendous resources. As well, and they've built that thing, you know, to compete at the highest level and. I got some pretty strong relationships with with Oregon and have for a long time, not only on the coaching staff, but in other areas as well they're committed to win at the highest level and have been have been that way for a number of years now. So Dan and his staff have done a phenomenal job, but just like all of us. You know, it takes a major commitment from from everybody involved and they've they've done a very nice job of that. I think also dance background and experience in the SEC, I think also helps. You know, I think he's able to kind of bring together, you know, two different worlds, and the experiences he's he's learned from both so very valuable.
Talk about the history and tradition of Penn State and you've been in the championship game of the Big 10 and what this means to Penn State.
Obviously that's what we're all trying to do is to compete for championships and the first thing is at the at the conference level and then at the second, the second level is obviously, you know from a from a national championship standpoint and more times than not you know you have to do 1 before you can do the other, so. You know, our guys are excited about it. I know, I know. I'm excited about it. So as the staff, it'll be a real challenge. You know, we're excited about playing in Indianapolis. It'll be a great environment. You know, we've been there before and we're expecting our fans to travel well and you know, obviously, we got a tremendous opponent #1 ranked team in the country. That's been in that position for a number of weeks now and as shown, has shown consistently that they're deserving of that ranking.
How would you describe the way he (Nicholas Singleton) managed to finish this regular season and when he's playing at this level right now, does it allow Andy total Nicky to maybe do some things that weren't on the table at mid-season because of how Nick?
Yeah, I don't know about that, but I do think your point is a good one and it's it's pretty obvious that Nick is back. It's close to 100% as he's been in a long time and you see the burst and the acceleration on tape, but yeah, we're going to try to be creative each week with our guys and put them in the best position to be successful and you know, there's some things that Nick does really well or some things that Catron does really well and, you know, possibly tagging some more of those plays for those guys so that we can put them in the best position possible but not do it to the degree that it it, it creates tendencies and giveaways in terms of of terms of how we're using each guy so. Got to be strategic about it, but you know obviously a healthy Nick Singleton you know is a positive for our team and for our offense.
You mentioned a couple of minutes ago about having developed some relationships at Oregon. How have you gone about doing that over your coaching career? What kind of relationships do you have there?
Yeah, probably won't get into those specifics right now, but you know, as you know, as you can imagine and there are a ton of relationships that you form over time in this industry. I've been in this industry now you know, for over 30 years I've worked with people that now work at Maryland at previous stops, and I've been fortunate to be a part of other things that have allowed me to have interactions with people on their staff with, with people in their and people that are very influential at Oregon. So I understand very clearly what their commitment level is like. We've also done a ton of as you guys know, you know we do a ton of studies on other programs. In terms of facilities, in terms of resources, you know whether it's NI, L or budgets in general. All those things are really important when you're trying to build your program to compete at the highest level. Understanding who and what you're competing against is a big part of that. So a ton of conversations and a ton of resources, you know, help with those things.
Can you give us some insight on in terms of your last like 15 hours, how your plan for this week has changed both with signing day and of course preparing for a game while also waiting for the portal opened opening on Monday?
Yeah, it's changed dramatically. I mean, you know, I went into the locker room after the game and I told him I got good news and bad news. You know and you know, we were supposed to have Sunday off as a staff and players, and now we're we're practicing and working and it'll be a long day and. You know, you know that's a positive. You know, that's obviously a positive, so. Our guys are excited about it but it but a very different you know obviously a very different you know week it was going to be a week for rest and recovery, some strategic practices. But obviously we always have to be prepared for all these different scenarios than we were so. Right after the game, I told him, hey, we're ready to go. We're practicing on Sunday. We they didn't even know that we had Sunday off yet, but that was the plan. So right after you know right after the game, I let him know what the schedule was going to be like and it's back to a normal week schedule for us in season schedule and our coaches and players are ready to go, and obviously, as you can imagine, pretty excited about it and then in terms of signing day, I'd probably say one of the biggest differences for signing day. Is that I'll be involved with signing day with the recruiting staff, but none of the assistants will. Typically, we've all been involved, but you know, with this being in season that's going to be hard to pull off. So I'll step away, you know from from game planning for you know, maybe an hour or so. You know, to to, to welcome the recruits and their families into, into our family. But that is really about it.
You're going to be Penn State is going to be the first team to play all four of the PAC 12 newcomers and there's kind of, you know people talk about you know, the PAC 12 style of football. Have you noticed anything between, you know, Washington, UCLA and USC that you kind of piece together of similarities coming from the same conference?
Yeah, I would say obviously there are some similar characteristics, but I would also say that I think a lot of those programs and a lot of those coaches, they'll study the Big 10, but also studied the SEC and said, you know how do our programs and how do our rosters. Look different. You know then the big 10 and the SEC and what modifications do we have to make to close the gap and I think really all these programs have done that you know, so it's interesting you bring that up you know, because as we all know, scheduling is a is a big part of all these things and. You know, we're excited about the opportunity being able to, you know, play Washington to your point, USC, UCLA and now and now Oregon. So we've got pretty good experience on it, but. But I would say the biggest thing is I think most of these programs from what I've seen, read Saul studied, they've spent a lot of times of trying to, you know, change their rosters to make them a little bit more big, 10 playoff ready and that that's what I, that's what I've noticed.
Talked to Jaylen Reed after the game yesterday. He said he he said he would basically rate the defensive effort as a 10 out of 10 given the pressure you guys were able to generate against Maryl and also the turnovers you've created over the last two games, how do you feel like your defense? Is trending as far as the things you wanted before Minnesota and kind of the the level of disruption you've been able to create?
Yeah, I think you know, getting Denny back healthy, I think that that's been important and I think this was his first game back where he was really healthy. You know, Abdul, the second half of the season has gotten very comfortable playing defensive and we've been able to rotate and get production out of guys like a mean as well. So I think all those things have been really important and I think last week was a really good example of that except for the opening drive, our defense played at a high level and was disruptive. We challenged them about turnovers in the last couple of weeks. We've done a really good job of that. So we're going to have to continue building. On that moving forward as a major part of our defense of identity, but overall good and you know as you know and just like the caller, a few calls back mentioned, you know being disruptive up front is really important and that's on offense and defense. Being able to find ways to change the line of scrimmage and. Either create space or reduce space, which is what offensive defense football is all about.
To follow up on an earlier question, you said you kind of evaluated some of the other schools in terms of their NIL and their facilities and things like that. What is your evaluation of where Oregon stands and how do you think Penn State compares to that?
Yeah, I don't want to get into a whole lot of that right now, you know, talking about the other people's business and what we know and I don't want to get into a whole lot. Of that but. I think it is. It's pretty obvious when you look at programs in general, whether it's Penn State, whether it's Oregon, you know whether it's Georgia, whether it's Alabama, Ohio, State, Michigan, whoever it may be. There's a lot of information that is out there. That I think paints a pretty clear picture on commitment and whether that is the budget of the Staff, whether that is the budget of the program, whether that is revenue that is being brought in, whether that is facilities, which is pretty easy to to research and see. You know, and then and then obviously the commitment you know from the top and that is you know whether it's board members, President University athletic director, and the programs that are able to compete on a consistent basis. There's alignment and I think you see examples of that across the country that are strong and consistent and have been for a long time and typically their football records and football sucks. Yes, indicate that, and then there are other places where that fluctuates and it's not as consistent, and you and you notice that as well. So as long as you're willing to spend the time and kind of look at it and study it and ask enough questions and have enough resources that has , you know, credible information. You know, you can you can see it pretty clearly. You know where you're at and where you need to be.
What have you seen over the course of the season and the development of Tyler Warren, obviously 130 career receptions, just what have you seen overall from this young man has helped make your offense that much more potent?
He just continues to get better. You know, in every area as a blocker we're still big believers that the tight ends should be doing that as part of their job description. Which isn't always the case. You know, we've used him as a Wildcat quarterback for a number of years now, but that package is expanded as he's grown. You know, obviously, we've used them as a, you know, wide receiver as well. In terms of lining them out. Slider in the slot or whatever it may be. Very confident. Very consistent players got, you know, unique ball skills and body control for a big human being and is having a phenomenal year, you know, in terms of our offense, obviously, a big part of it goes through him. But I also recognize that everybody we play defensively also says that, you know, one of their big goals is to limit his impact. Hasn't happened a whole lot yet because it's hard to do when you play a tight end the way we do and line them up. A traditional tight end as a tight end in the hip position in the backfield as a full back in the slot a slot receiver out out wide is a number one wide receiver and then also motions and shifts. So it just makes it difficult to say we're going to take this guy out of the game. You know, based on based on defensive scheme. It just makes it very difficult to do to still keep your defense sound while also eliminating and never see what I can line up in so many different spots. So. He's had a huge year for us, you know, he's the model just in terms of how he's handled all of this with such humility, really proud of them.
There's been a lot of conjecture and opinions about the value of the conference title game in the first round bye to the Rose Bowl versus being a 5 or 6 seed hosting a playoff game and perceptions about who has the easier path, whether winning gives you an easier path or being the five seed and perhaps a more favorable matchup. What's your perspective on what? What the committee should do in terms of creating the most favorable pads for teams who wins conference title games and for those who get the host playoff games if they lose these title games.
Yeah, I guess what I would say is 2 things. Number one, I'm focused on the things that I can control, which is being prepared to play Oregon and play Oregon well and then those other things are outside of my control. I think everybody recognizes that, you know, we want to make sure that you know these playoff games do not become a penalty and I think there's been a lot of conversation about that and there's a bunch of really good football people that are on the committee that I think understand that, but besides that. At this time, I don't. I don't have a whole lot of questions or concern because I'm just totally focused on, you know, putting our team in the best position to. To beat Oregon, you know, that's really, you know what our focus is on. So all those other things, I'll leave those things up to the Commissioners. I'll leave those things up to the College Football Committee playoff committee and I think everybody has the same. Goal in mind, right? Doing what's best for college football and the student-athletes and getting the best 12 teams in the game and trying to set it up in a way that you earn the right to, you know, wear you're seeded throughout the entire season and the collective body work, so, and we'll see how that plays out. What I do know is no matter what happens and whatever is decided, some people won't be happy about it. But I'm just focused on beating Oregon.
Want to ask about Dejuan Lane? We saw him have his first career pick last night. What? What have you seen from his development over the course of the year, and second just you know how pleased are you with the overall development of this year's freshman class?
As you know, since we decided to play him and burn his red shirt, you know, we had a lot of confidence in him, very talented, big, strong, fast, athletic guy. You know, we had a lot of conversations about him, possibly could play wide receiver. You know, and as the seasons go on his role on special teams has grown, and as the season goes on, his role on defense has grown. As you can see, in the play that he made there, he also had an opportunity for a block punt which which would have been huge if he'd have been able to have both of those, so he can continue to grow his confidence and also be able to impact our team. But I think him as well as a lot of the freshmen played full time like Luke and Cooper. Or guys that we've, you know, played in the four-game games and tried to redshirt but still have gotten a decent amount of football in, and now that we're in the postseason now, those guys can. Our full go and complain everything so you know whether it's. Max, or whether it's Harvey at defensive end or whether it's John Mitchell, or (Antoine) Belgrave Shorter or (Kenny) Woseley in the secondary, you know Vaboue, you know, ton of guys, you know that are doing things, Speca, doing some really good things this past week on special teams. You know? And then the young running backs, so been a bunch of different guys, Tyseer, wide receiver. You know, I think there's been a really good foundation laid with those guys that we can build on, you know, through the postseason and going in the next year.
