Next weekend, college football will witness one of the most thrilling matchups in recent memory. The Penn State Nittany Lions will host the undefeated Oregon Ducks at Beaver Stadium, and James Franklin knows Dan Lanning and his squad are walking into a hostile environment.
The White Out is ready to make its presence felt, and thousands of Penn State fans will look to create an electric atmosphere even before the first snap. Finding a way to block out the noise will also be a challenge the Nittany Lions themselves will have to manage.
“I think that happens naturally,” Franklin said. “I don’t think I need to tell them. Right? They’ve been hearing it all offseason. They’ve been hearing it when they walk around campus, when they’re getting the requests for tickets. I love, like I get these text messages. ‘Hey, how we doing?’ I haven’t talked to you in I don’t know how long, and you are talking about all these other topics. I’m like, get to the point. The answer is ‘No.’ You’ve waited to the last minute to request tickets. What are we talking about?”
The experienced head coach knows his players will need to stay focused on what happens between the lines in order to come away with a crucial victory.
A general view as fireworks explode as the Penn State Nittany Lions take the field.
“So, I don’t think it’s anything that I need to address with them. It is a special deal and we’re fortunate and honored to coach in it and to play in it,” the HC also added. “But I don’t think it’s something that needs to be addressed. They’ve all — almost all of them were there as recruits. They’ve all — the ones that weren’t there as recruits have now played in it.”
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Charging up
James Franklin knows the atmosphere next weekend will be deafening, but the goal is to harness that energy and then shift full focus to the game itself.
“So, I’ll take my eight seconds when we walk out of the tunnel and take it all in and feel the energy,” Franklin said. “And then once you kind of run on the field, you’re kind of locked in and focused on the opponent and the challenge. But I don’t think it’s something that needs to really be addressed.”
When and where will Penn State vs. Oregon be played?
The highly anticipated showdown between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Oregon Ducks is set for this Saturday, September 27th. This blockbuster matchup will take place at the iconic Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, and it’s no ordinary game—it’s the annual “White Out” game, where the entire stadium will be a sea of white.
The atmosphere promises to be electric as these two college football powerhouses face off in a game with major Big Ten and national championship implications.
