'Different year, same team': Greg McElroy calls out college football powerhouse after Week 5 loss

Greg McElroy criticized Penn State after its Week 5 loss, calling the program unchanged.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy doesn't believe the Penn State Nittany Lions are any better than they were last season. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Penn State entered Week 5 with high expectations, eager to prove it belonged among college football's elite. Instead, a double-overtime loss to Oregon at Beaver Stadium reopened familiar wounds and sparked pointed criticism from ESPN analyst Greg McElroy. The former Alabama quarterback, now host of the Always College Football podcast, questioned whether James Franklin’s program has made any real progress despite fielding what he described as a championship-caliber defense.

The 30-24 defeat came in front of 111,015 fans clad in white, a raucous environment meant to lift the third-ranked Nittany Lions past the Ducks. Drew Allar’s two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Devonte Ross gave Penn State a chance, but his interception in the second overtime sealed the loss. With the setback, Franklin’s record against AP top-10 opponents dropped to 4-21, a mark that has fueled growing frustration in Happy Valley. As chants of “Fire Franklin” echoed late in the game, McElroy delivered a cutting assessment that Penn State looked far too much like its old self.

“Same old Penn State, different year, same team,” McElroy said. “Now, I really like their defense, and I really do. I think their defense, that is a championship caliber defense. They are a mauling football team. They want to get after you. They’re super physical. Their defenders play downhill. They want to get after you. And it’s fun to watch. That defense is the real deal.”

McElroy Points To Lack Of Offensive Growth

McElroy stressed that while the Nittany Lions continue to boast one of the most physical defenses in the country, the offense remains stuck in neutral. He criticized Allar’s mechanics, noting repeated throws off his back foot that led to inaccuracy and missed opportunities.

“If he just stands back there and drives the ball with conviction, it’s a completely different animal, but we didn’t see that,” McElroy said. The late interception, he argued, was a poor decision made worse by trying to force the ball to tight end Luke Reynolds instead of taking an easier checkdown.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) completed just 14 of 25 passes for 137 yards against Oregon on Saturday. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Explosiveness, or the lack thereof, was another focal point of McElroy’s critique. He singled out Ross as Penn State’s most dynamic weapon but noted that the passing attack failed to stretch the field until late. Compared to Oregon, which he praised for having “a hundred different pathways to victory,” McElroy argued Penn State remains one-dimensional.

“Where’s the firepower? Where’s the downfield threat? Where’s the explosive passing attack? It’s not there,” he said. Despite holding Oregon to 17 points in regulation, McElroy pointed out that Penn State was outgained by roughly 150 yards and failed to create key turnovers, such as a near-interception by AJ Harris that turned into a Ducks gain.

Familiar Frustrations For Franklin And Penn State

Saturday’s loss underscored a troubling trend for Franklin’s program. Against top competition, the Nittany Lions have too often come up short. Allar, now in his second season as a starter, is 0-6 in his career against AP top-6 opponents. Franklin’s .160 winning percentage against top-10 teams is among the worst for coaches with at least 25 such games.

Afterward, Franklin accepted the criticism, saying, “I get that narrative, and it’s really not a narrative — it’s factual. It’s the facts. I take ownership. I take responsibility.”

Penn State football head coach James Franklin attempted to take ownership of the Nittany Lions' loss to the Oregon Ducks. | James Lang-Imagn Images

For Oregon, the victory marked its FBS-best 23rd straight regular-season win and extended its Big Ten regular-season record to 12-0. Quarterback Dante Moore threw for three touchdowns and avoided turnovers in the hostile environment, providing a sharp contrast to Penn State’s late-game struggles. Ducks coach Dan Lanning summed it up bluntly: “Eventually that cut was going to be a jugular and that last interception was a jugular.”

Penn State’s players voiced determination to rebound, but the reality remains that in a season billed as a breakthrough opportunity, the offense once again faltered when it mattered most. The Nittany Lions will try to regroup when they visit UCLA on Saturday.