Penn State, James Franklin and the Instagram Effect

Why good never feels like good enough for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State head coach James Franklin is a man of many talents.

He’s a really good football coach, as evidenced by his work at Penn State and Vanderbilt. He boasts an infectious amount of energy and charisma, which has undoubtedly helped him on the recruiting trail. And when it comes to in-game clock management, he possesses a Labradoodle-esque derpy ness about him that rightfully drives analysts and Nittany Lion fans crazy.

By and large, Franklin is an excellent coach and 93% of the rest of the college football world would be lucky to have him at the helm of their program. No need to fact-check that, it’s true. But why does it never feel like he's particularly loved or appreciated in Happy Valley? My guess: Penn State football fans suffer from the Instagram Effect.

When Good Isn’t Good Enough

If good is the enemy of great, then the enemy of the Penn State football program under Franklin is Michigan and Ohio State.

Franklin is often mocked and maligned by fans in Happy Valley, but should they be more thankful for what they have? I sure think so.

Since taking over the Penn State program, Franklin boasts an outrageously good record, albeit with some caveats. In ten years, he’s gone 88-39, which is good for a .693 win percentage. He has four 11-win seasons to his name, and in the last two years alone, he’s gone 20-0 against teams not named Michigan and Ohio State.

The caveats? Well, for whatever reason, he just can’t seem to win enough of the big games. When the lights get bright, his teams often shrink. The numbers back up this sentiment. In twenty matchups against Top 10 teams, he’s won just three of them. And against fellow Big Ten measuring sticks Michigan and Ohio State, he’s gone only 4-16. To take it a step further, he’s gone only 12-25 against Top 25 opponents, which perhaps tells a different tale than the one that claims he just has a Wolverine and Buckeye problem.

But for all his apparent shortcomings, he’s only been rewarded for his work. His agent, college football powerbroker Jimmy Sexton, does a stellar job of keeping Franklin’s name in the news whenever a hot new job arises. That hard work on both Franklin and Sexton’s part has resulted in a lengthy (and expensive) marriage between the coach and his employer.

In 2021, Franklin signed an eye-watering 10-year contract that runs through 2031, and that nets him $7.5 million per year. His buyout after the 2024 season sits squarely at $56 million. It’s not Jimbo Fisher money, but it’s not terribly far off.

That caliber of monetary commitment comes with lofty expectations, and schools and fans alike expect the very best for that price.

For better or worse, I am not one of those people who often find myself feeling sorry. for college football coaches. Is their job extremely difficult? Yes. Do things like the transfer portal, NIL and the always-on-ness make their jobs harder? Yes.

But let’s be real: College football coaches—especially those at the top of the sport—are more than fairly compensated for their efforts. I’m just not here for the tiny violin of complaining.

Franklin is far from a martyr and really isn’t someone we should necessarily feel bad for. But Penn State fans’ level of dissatisfaction with their head coach has more to do with them than it does Franklin.

Penn State fans are suffering from the Instagram Effect, and the only cure is to log off and be thankful for what they have at home.

The Instagram Effect

Author and business advisor Aaron Lynn describes The Instagram Effect as the phenomenon where you think your life sucks because it doesn't match up to the expectations in your mind.

For example, you wake up early on an offseason Sunday and decide to whip up a batch of your famous flapjacks. You add the eggs, flour, baking soda, etc. You cook the pancakes, snap a quick pic for Instagram and then you chow down. They’re delicious!

You go to post your flapjack photo and are suddenly inundated with other pancake content creators. You know the type, the ones with the fancy equipment, special cinnamon butter and elaborate toppings. Before you know it, you don’t feel nearly as good about your famous flapjacks. You’re suffering from The Instagram Effect.

Unfortunately, this concept isn’t new and it’s likely something we’ve all struggled with at one time or another. Remember, envy is the thief of joy.

In college football terms, this concept isn’t new either. Your in-state rival gets a sick new quarterback? You don’t love your quarterback quite as much. Your conference mate makes it to the title game? You start thinking, when are we going to make it to the title game? You catch my drift.

As I mentioned before, I firmly believe that 93% of Division I college football teams would be lucky to have someone like Franklin. He recruits his ass off, he’s not getting caught in a sex scandal and by and large he beats everyone he should beat. That last part is key…everyone he should beat.

I’d argue that Penn State probably shouldn’t beat Michigan and Ohio State every year. I consider those two schools to be #builtdifferent in a way that is tough to overcome. Yes, it sure would be nice if Penn State beat those two conference measuring sticks a little more often than they currently do…but it’s not outlandish for the Nittany Lions to be third in line! That’s reality, man.

2024 Outlook

The good news for Penn State fans is there is plenty of room for optimism heading into 2024.

From a scheduling standpoint, Penn State dodges two of the three biggest conference competitors in Oregon and Michigan, with the latter expected to take a dip due to the sheer amount of change in Ann Arbor. In the press box, the Nittany Lions get a major boost with the addition of new OC Andy Kotelnicki, the mad scientist behind the meteoric rise of the Kansas Jayhawk offense. I suspect Kotelnicki will add a fresh perspective to this largely stale Penn State offense, and is bound to cook up something tasty for QB Drew Allar.

Speaking of Allar, with the arrival of Kotelnicki and transfer WR Julian Fleming, he has no more excuses. Allar was a blue-chip recruit with a ton of hype behind his name. It’s time he starts playing like it.

Where to Go From Here

The Instagram algorithm is complicated, but in essence, you get more of what you watch and consume. If you watch a lot of funny dog videos, you’ll get more funny dogs.

Penn State is getting exactly out of Instagram (their college football happiness) as what they put into it. Moving forward, I encourage Penn State fans to closely monitor their screen time, spend less time on the app, and for the life of God, stop obsessing over Michigan and Ohio State.

Enjoy what you have. Relish those 10-11 wins per year. Soak up the White Out games and NY6 Bowl appearances. And think more fondly of your head coach.

Because before you know it, the college football tides will change and you’ll be left wanting what you once had.