Penn State was two plays away from becoming the No. 1 team in the country. Fifteen days later, James Franklin was fired for performance, the stunning conclusion to one of the most sudden implosions the sport has ever seen.

During that span, the Nittany Lions lost three times:

- First, in double overtime, to a very talented squad that hopes to contend for a national championship. (Oregon)

- Then, inexplicably, to a previously winless opponent that looked like it might be the worst power-conference team in the country. (UCLA)

- And, finally, to a program that has spent most of its history as one of the doormats of the Big Ten conference. (Northwestern)

That very specific sequence of events is what prompted Franklin’s ouster in the midst of his 12th season. It was not just that there w

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