Will James Franklin, Penn State finally win the big one against Ohio State? ‘I think it’s our time’

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — Have you ever heard the sharp crack of white gold against polished wood?

When the giant-sized championship ring affixed on Pat Kraft’s right ring finger meets the conference room table before him, the sound is unmistakable. Crack!

It is the sound of success, the sound of investment, of tradition, of history. Crack! Crack!

The melody Kraft unintentionally creates on this Wednesday afternoon from his athletic director office, tucked in the shadow of Beaver Stadium, is a reminder of Penn State’s latest national title. In March, Nittany Lions wrestling won the school’s 90th team championship in its illustrious history — believed to be the most by a school east of the Mississippi River.

And yet, outside of Kraft’s office window, through the autumn foliage and against a blue-splashed fall sky, a gargantuan structure of steel and concrete rises from the Pennsylvania hills as a reminder of something else: Here, football is king, and it has not delivered a ring in 38 years.

“I get it,” says Kraft, entering his third year as athletic director. “We all sign up for it. We all come to Penn State to win national championships. I know (James Franklin) doesn’t run away from it. I sure don’t. It’s why I came here and why we’re investing. You don’t come to Penn State to be mediocre.

“Michigan won the national championship last year. Ohio State has been in that mix,” he continues. “I think it’s our time.”

For years behind in facilities and trailing in NIL compensation to athletes, Penn State’s leaders believe it has caught up to the elites off the field. It operates from a refurbished football facility, has at its disposal a brand-new dining hall, spectacular weight room and a team of sports performance chefs, academic advisors and mental health specialists. Its budget for name,…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-31 16:17:15

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