Penn State football loses in CFP: Why it was close. Heartbreaking. And still the norm ...

Penn State football loses in CFP: Why it was close. Heartbreaking. And still the norm …

Posted by Admin January 10, 2025 Football

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. − The Penn State football locker room was nearly silent as the final bit of Thursday night drifted away.

They were trying to take it all in, make some sense of their crushing ending here at the bottom of Hard Rock Stadium that never felt it would turn that way.

How they had lost a late lead, lost the College Football Playoff semifinal to Notre Dame, 27-24, lost their shot at the national championship game.

How their entire season ended so abruptly. Had, once again, not ended like it could have.

And, despite all of their successes, why they are feeling the same gut-punching feeling they’ve felt at so many critical times before.

The Nittany Lions found a heartbreaking way to lose to the Top 10 Fighting Irish. Lost in excruciating fashion in yet another penultimate, signature-victory kind of moment.

Yet another spotlight, defining night that slipped away.

It felt as thought assistant coach JaJuan Seider may have been speaking for all those who sat stunned at their lockers behind him.

“It sucks. Because only one team advances and it ain’t you. It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “You appreciate the opportunity being here, but it don’t mean anything if you don’t finish. And we didn’t finish.”

Seider, who coaches Penn State’s exemplary running backs, talked of “getting over the hump” in big moments, of “winning these types of games,” of “being able to finish at the end.”

“We are so close …”

Which makes it all the tougher to swallow for Penn State and its supporters.

Penn State football: Why can’t it ever win this kind of game?

That feeling has hung over this program ever since James Franklin began building it back, at times, quicker than expected. That first year, in 2014, he lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in double overtime.

The Lions ended their rousing 2016 season with a walk-off defeat to USC.

The only losses the next season? By one point to Ohio State, and on the final play at Michigan State.

It’s gone on like this: The Lions becoming increasingly better at beating the teams they own decisive advantages in talent and depth; losing most every test when it does not.

This year? They couldn’t score twice inside the 5 yard line against Ohio State and lost by a touchdown. They couldn’t finish a late comeback against Oregon.

On Thursday night in South Florida …

They gave up two leads. A wide receiver didn’t catch a single pass. And the vastly talented Drew Allar, who was the top quarterback recruit in the nation, inexplicably threw a bad interception at the very worst time.

Then his defense cracked.

And then his Lions found a way to lose to yet another top opponent.

Losing in a way that makes it all feel even worse.

Yet again.

“It’s just terrible. We sacrificed so much, you go through so much, and to come up short, especially being so close … It’s heartbreaking,” said defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas, moments after playing his final college game.

“When you get to this level, the margin of error is so small, is razor-thin, and that’s the difference in the game …”

The difference in Penn State finally getting the kind of victory that resonates beyond the night.

The difference in going to the national title game.

The kind of situation it still must learn now to conquer, some how, some way, under Franklin.

One that will resonate, fairly or not, for seven months to come.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.