For all of James Franklin's success at Penn State -- and he's had plenty of it -- there's been a prevailing narrative that the 11th year coach cannot deliver in crucial moments. The ironic moniker "Big Game James" has been thrown around to ridicule his efforts against top competition,

Penn State faces a unique reality in the next 12 months. It will head into the College Football Playoff with as favorable a path to the title game as any team. That doesn’t mean the Nittany Lions can’t or won’t lose, but it’s undeniable that any team in the bracket would take Penn State’s path.