Editor’s note: This is a guest column from former writer and columnist Dave Jones, who retired from PennLive last May after 33 years covering Penn State. Jones, who will be recognized with the Football Writers Association of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Jan. 17 in Atlanta, offers his thoughts on the current playoff format.

James Franklin finally has an opportunity to change the narrative that surrounds his program. But he's got to win a big game to do it.

Both teams sign elite high school recruiting classes year after year as their foundations, and they have used the transfer portal judiciously but with great success.