Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for 247Sports. He joins Alex to talk about the Nittany Lions’ long road to the doorstep of the national title game, including:

* How the university responded to James Franklin’s request for more investment in the football program

* The relationship between the coach and the fanbase

* An athletic director swap in the middle of Franklin’s tenure

* What’s been different about this year’s team

* Whether Franklin is on his way to being a Penn State lifer

* The impact of this year’s coordinator hires

* Fiesta Bowl hospitality

And more. With Penn State on the verge of something big, we thought it was time to talk more in depth about how they got here. Penn State plays Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl semifinal this week.

Find Daniel’s work: https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/

Read Audrey Snyder’s story about Penn State’s resources: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3738241/2022/10/28/penn-state-james-franklin-facilities-football/

Host: Alex Kirshner

Producer: Anthony Vito

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So, What Is Up With Penn State?