Why did Penn State call *that* play in overtime vs. Oregon? James Franklin explains

Following Saturday's 30-24 double overtime loss to then-No. 6 Oregon, Penn State will spend (at least) another month locked in purgatory. For seemingly the 27th season in a row, James Franklin's Nittany Lions beat everyone they're supposed to and no one they're not. 

The way the loss played out, the program's 15th consecutive against the AP top-6, was almost divinely engineered for maximum pain. After investing millions in their offensive personal both in the headsets and in helmets, the Nittany Lions mustered only 104 yards and three points. As boo birds emerged from the Beaver Stadium upper decks, at least the game provided clarity in the burn-it-all-down fashion, embarrassing as the performance was in the moment. Instead, encouragingly and frustratingly, Penn State rallied. The Lions registered 137 yards and 14 points in the fourth quarter to push the game into overtime, where they momentarily took a 24-17 lead. 

Oregon, of course, answered in seven plays, and then took a 30-24 lead on the first play in the top of the second overtime. When Penn State stuffed Oregon's 2-point try, the Nittany Lions had an opportunity to win the game with a touchdown and a conversion.

Instead, Oregon intercepted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar on the first play of the ensuing possession. Ballgame. 

As you saw, Penn State ran a concept with four receivers to the boundary, with Allar trying to hit tight end Luke Reynolds on a wheel route. 

Among the many questions following the game in general and that play in particular, the most pressing was, "To the boundary? Really?"

Yes, really, Franklin said Monday. As he explains below, that was a core concept in Penn State's offense, and throwing into the boundary was by design. In layman's terms, Penn State threw a curveball thinking Oregon would be looking for a fastball, but the Ducks were actually sitting on the curve. "Some run plays and pass plays are called into the boundary based on defenses playing field defense, and a lot of times you can gain leverage advantages and, I know it seems strange, space advantages (into the boundary.)"

And sit Oregon did. If Ducks safety Dillion Thieneman wasn't there to intercept it, his fellow safety Aaron Flowers was there to make sure the ball never made it to Reynolds. Oregon wasn't just sitting on the curve, they cranked it 600 feet.

The natural next question is why Allar didn't see Thieneman and check the ball down to running back Nick Singleton for a likely 2- to 3-yard gain, or why offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was running the ball in the first place when the overwhelming majority of Penn State's success on its final touchdown drive in regulation and its overtime touchdown drive came on the ground. 

Those are fair questions, but ultimately they boil down to real-time, split-second decisions by coordinator and quarterback where Penn State happened to end up just short. For the 15th time in a row.