James Franklin halted an on-field celebration by Penn State at USC. Here’s what happened.

Despite a shaky start, No. 4 Penn State rallied to defeat USC 33-30 in overtime at the LA Coliseum. James Franklin’s squad is among the few Big Ten teams to secure a win after a lengthy road trip this season. However, Franklin wasn’t pleased with his team’s attempt to plant a flag deep in Big Ten territory.

Lincoln Riley, USC’s head coach for Week 7, is no stranger to such behavior. Back in 2017, his former quarterback at Oklahoma, Baker Mayfield, famously planted a flag at midfield after defeating Ohio State in Columbus. Mayfield later apologized for the act, and Franklin might be expecting a similar gesture from redshirt sophomore cornerback Audavion Collins.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 12: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions hugs kicker Ryan Barker #94 after he kicked a game-winning field goal to defeat the USC Trojans 33-30 in overtime at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 12, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

When Mayfield planted the flag, he was in the midst of a Heisman Trophy-winning season and on his way to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In contrast, Collins is a rotational defensive back simply grateful for playing time after Penn State’s No. 4-ranked team edged out an unranked USC squad that had just lost to Minnesota, dropping their record to 3-3.

Franklin was wise to put a stop to his team’s postgame celebrations. After nearly being upset on the road, there wasn’t much to celebrate. With No. 2 Ohio State still looming on the schedule, a team notoriously difficult to beat—even at Beaver Stadium—Franklin knows the challenge ahead. He’s also aware that with Penn State’s relatively weak strength of schedule, a 10-2 finish might not be enough to secure a spot in the Top 12.

Penn State managed to escape with a win, but they didn’t perform like a national championship contender, and only true contenders should be planting flags.