Does Penn State's James Franklin deserve more credit for College Football Playoff positioning?

North Shore Drive podcast - Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On their weekly Penn State football podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian insider Joel Haas analyze the job coach James Franklin has done to put the Nittany Lions in contention for a College Football Playoff spot. Does he deserve more credit despite his lack of big wins? Would Penn State be out of the CFP discussion had it slipped up against an inferior team as the Alabama Crimson Tide the the Georgia Bulldogs have this season? And is recent domination of the Washington Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers an example of his message getting through to plays effectively?

Our duo ponders those questions and more. Can Penn State really be a national championship threat running it's offense through tight end Tyler Warren? Could freshman Luke Reynolds be the next dominant Penn State TE after Warren? Has OC Andy Kotelnicki shown too much of what backup QB Beau Pribula can do when he spells Drew Allar in meaningful moments? Which potential SEC foe does Penn State match up best against in the playoff? And who should Lions fans root for in this week's big game between Indiana and Ohio State?