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By Neil Rudel
The No. 1 storyline for the remainder of this season is who will fill the Nittany Lions’ now vacated offensive coordinator position.
James Franklin accelerated that narrative by pulling the plug on Mike Yurcich’s tenure last Sunday after Penn State lost to Michigan, 24-15.
Or did he do it sooner?
According to a report by Audrey Snyder of The Athletic, quarterback recruit Bekkem Kritza met with Franklin last Saturday morning at Beaver Stadium prior to the Lions’ matchup with the Wolverines.
The meeting included Kritza’s family and was held in Franklin’s stadium office near the PSU locker room.
As he prepared to inform Franklin and the Lions’ staff that he intended to commit for the 2025 season, the Colorado product noticed Yurcich — who handled the recruitment — wasn’t present.
“I kind of had a feeling that something didn’t seem right,” Kritza told Snyder. “He’s the main guy I was talking to. I kind of knew then, and Coach Franklin knew that I knew so he just gave it to me straight up.”
“Straight up” was the disclosure from Franklin that Yurcich “wasn’t going to be there.”
“Before the game when I told Coach Franklin I was committing, he hinted to it,” Kritza said.
It didn’t deter the junior from pledging his allegiance to Franklin, but it sure raises some questions.
Had Franklin already made up his mind on Yurcich? Had he already told Yurcich he was done? If so, why would he let him call the plays for the biggest game of the year?
If the Lions had performed better on offense, would Yurcich still be gone?
And one more thing: Recruiting for the future is, of course, important, but shouldn’t all the focus at that moment have been on the present?
The stakes had rarely been higher under Franklin as Michigan represented the biggest game of the year and, with it, a chance to play for the Big Ten title and a possible berth in the College Football Playoff?
A case can be made that beating the Wolverines would have been Franklin’s greatest win.
Now Franklin is conducting a search for his next/latest OC, and it’s anybody’s guess when that will be concluded and who gets the job.
Maybe interviews will be taking place during the first quarter of today’s game with Rutgers, which would be appropriate based on events of the past week.
Franklin has not tipped his hand on who will handle the playcalling, only saying Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle will be involved, and that Danny O’Brien will be on the field working with the quarterbacks.
Franklin might not want to publicly promote one assistant coach over another at this stage or expose them should the Lions not play well on offense today vs. Rutgers (noon, FS1).
Either way, it’s a bit messy in the blue and white camp.
Nitpicking …
n Rutgers has averaged 5.9 points in the last nine meetings with Penn State with a high of 10 twice.
n The Knights are ranked 19th nationally in total defense, allowing 18.3 points per game. Michigan (7.5), Ohio State (9.9), Iowa (12.3) and Penn State (I13.1) make up the top four.
n Rutgers runs better than it passes so after watching Michigan have success vs. the Lions by using an extra offensive lineman and staying almost exclusively on the ground, don’t be surprised if Greg Schiano employs a similar strategy.
n Today is senior day, but it’s a bit different than the past due to the transfer portal. There’s a long list scheduled for introduction. Some may be recognized and will be back. Others might not be but are leaving. The only scholarship players who don’t have eligibility remaining are DBs Keaton Ellis, Johnny Dixon and C Hunter Nourzad.
n After two losses to the teams that mattered most, this is the time of year when seniors with NFL plans volunteer to have their playing time reduced.
n If the Lions win the next two (Rutgers, at Michigan State) and finish 10-2, they’ll still land in an attractive bowl. Right now, speculation has them in the Peach (Dec. 30), Cotton (Dec. 29) or Fiesta (Jan. 1) against any combination of Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Oregon, Washington or Tulane. Other than Tulane, I’m thinking the Nits would be a touchdown underdog against all of them.
Rudel can be reached at [email protected].