The Penn State Nittany Lions haven't been to West Virginia since 1992. 'Everything in that state revolves around West Virginia and Mountaineer football,' James Franklin said.
Although Penn State’s 2023 season ended 241 days ago with a loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, that was how James Franklin opened his first weekly press conference of the 2024 season: By reflecting on how quickly the offseason flew.
Franklin knows the power of home-field advantage. The Nittany Lions are 55-15 at home since he took over in 2014. When you have a sold-out crowd on your side, it changes a lot. “It's magnified in a place that does not have an NFL team,” Franklin said. “Everything in that state revolves around West Virginia and Mountaineer football.”Especially for Penn State’s younger players, traveling for a Week 1 game at West Virginia is a challenge. Players who haven’t traveled with the team before — which involves new hotels, different beds and meals, etc. — must prepare for a rowdy environment and be cautious about the little things.
“They're a prideful place,” Franklin said. “I think all the way back to Don Nehlen and what he was able to do. I noticed there was like six relatives of Don Nehlen working on their staff somewhere in the building. There are a ton of cool things about West Virginia football, this game and the historical aspects of this game.”Roster-wise, West Virginia is in a similar position to the Nittany Lions.
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