Penn State football coach James Franklin expects big impact from White Out against Auburn

Penn State football will kick off its annual White Out game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Beaver Stadium.

“For a long time, this White Out game, year in and year out goes a long way toward shaping our future,” coach James Franklin said. “You think about how many great players that have come to Penn State that talk about the White Out game having a big, significant impact in their recruiting process and in their decision. So getting as many of the top players nationally here as possible, as well as getting all of the regional players here on campus, we think is really important.”

The game, which this year is against the No. 20 Auburn Tigers, is a major selling point for recruits every season, to the point that Franklin and his staff are unable to accommodate every request they get to attend.

This season, the Penn State coach estimated the program will host around 300 people for recruiting purposes, including recruits, their families, high school coaches and others.

“We’re usually full,” Franklin said. “We’re fortunate here, having a 107,000-seat stadium. Our student section is bigger than most. Our allotment of recruiting tickets is bigger than most, so that helps for games like this because you hate to turn people away. But this is a game where we typically have to turn recruits away. This is a game where we typically have to turn high school coaches away just because the demand far outweighs the supply.”

Last season the team was unable to host recruits at all because of the covid-19 pandemic, which means there are now multiple classes of high school players who will be seeing the environment for the first time.

Franklin said the ability for those players to get to the stadium and see what game days are like at the program are important, especially for those who haven’t had a chance to experience the White Out.

“This is a special place,” Franklin said. “But it is something that you have to come and see for yourself. I think that’s a really important piece to all of this.”

The Nittany Lions coach already has an elite recruiting class — it’s currently ranked No. 1 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings — but is hopeful that the environment will have a wide-ranging impact on those in attendance, and wants Penn State fans to show the incoming Auburn crowd what the program is about.

“We want this place rocking,” Franklin said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for Auburn; I’ve got a ton of respect for the SEC. I want these fans and the staff and these coaches to go back to the SEC and say, ‘You know, we love our football in the SEC, but you know, what they do up there at Penn State is special, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like it.’

“I want them to have that type of experience and that type of impression of our fan base and of our university and of our crowd.”

Scheduling Auburn

The game this weekend will be the first of two scheduled between the Nittany Lions and Tigers, with the second coming next season when Penn State travels to Auburn.

The series was originally announced in 2016 by both programs. Franklin delved into how games like this one come together and what the team considers when scheduling.

“It’s a collaboration,” he said. “I think the Big Ten plays a factor in these decisions, as well. I think the athletic director plays a factor in it and the head coach (does as well). You’re trying to make the best decisions for your program, for your organization. You’re looking at what your crossover games are that year, if you have the Big Ten schedule at that point. … What are your other out-of-conference games like? All of those things need to be factored in, not just the number of home and away games. You have to look at it all.”

The series is one of three home-and-homes Penn State currently has on its schedule. The next two will be with West Virginia in 2023 and 2024 and with Temple in 2026 and 2027.

Franklin said those setups, with each team traveling to the opponent’s home stadium for a game, are less appealing than potentially playing a high-level team at a neutral site.

“I’m a big fan of the neutral site games,” he said. “I think those are things that make a lot of sense, when you can play a neutral site game, rather than committing to a two-game series. … It allows you to maybe get into a region of the country where your fan base may enjoy it as well and see a different venue. I think that’s something to consider moving forward, as well.”

Quick hitters

• Eric Wilson will remain the starter at left guard after sharing duties with Anthony Whigan, who started in Week 1 against Wisconsin. Franklin said the team still plans to rotate in other guys at the position.

• Auburn QB Bo Nix, for his athleticism and accuracy; RB Tank Bigsby, for his explosiveness; and LB Owen Pappoe, for his splash plays on film, were three of the players Franklin said stood out when watching the Tigers’ first two games.

• Sophomore wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was praised by Franklin for the steps he’s taken this season. “I’m really pleased with KeAndre,” Franklin said. “… I think you’re gonna see his role continue to grow as the year goes on. I think he’s gonna have a great career here.”

• Penn State still sees short yardage situations and the four minute offense as areas of emphasis in the rushing attack. Franklin said the offense is making progress from those standpoints.