A press conference that Penn State wanted to be about the upcoming Wisconsin game ended up being anything but that, after James Franklin refused to even be at the podium for questions about two former Nittany Lions who had multiple felony charges announced against them on Wednesday.
After Penn State's win over Wisconsin on Saturday night, Franklin doubled back to apologize for his handling of those questions.
"I did not do a good job of handling that situation, representing this program the right way, so I wanted to take a minute to apologize for that," Franklin said.
He wound up saying exactly as much about the actual case -- nothing -- as he did Wednesday, but took an entirely different tone in saying nothing on Saturday night. "I understand you guys got a job to do. You've got to ask those questions. I respect that. The university put out a statement, and the reality of it is there's not a whole lot I can say other than that statement."
James Franklin ends his postgame press conference by apologizing for his behavior during Wednesday’s press conference at Penn State: pic.twitter.com/ntgW7dOqMe
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) October 27, 2024
The ugly core at the center of this story is that a 17-year-old girl was allegedly brutalized by two former members of the Penn State football program, and yet that story ended up becoming about Franklin and Penn State football.
Now, by saying what he now recognizes he should've said Wednesday, Franklin and Penn State can temporarily put the situation behind them. The legal process is just beginning, and at some point Franklin will be expected to say something.
In the meantime, No. 3 Penn State can now turn its full attention to next week's visit from No. 4 Ohio State.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.