Ryan Day has a remarkable 62-9 record since becoming the Ohio State head football coach. The Buckeyes won two Big Ten titles and made three appearances in the College Football Playoff in his previous five full seasons. At most schools, performances over that stretch would be celebrated. But that’s not the case at Ohio State. Day is receiving criticism from fans, alumni and some former players for his 2-7 record against top-five opponents and his three straight losses to archrival Michigan. It’s why the fourth-ranked Buckeyes’ game against No. 3 Penn State Saturday at Beaver Stadium is so big for him, but perhaps not as big as it is for James Franklin. Under Franklin, the Nittany Lions have beaten the Buckeyes just once in 10 tries, including seven consecutive defeats. Ohio State is the chief reason why he’s a dismal 1-12 against teams ranked in the top five. This might be Penn State’s best chance to win since a three-year stretch that began with the Lions shocking the Buckeyes 24-21 in 2016 as 19-point underdogs and continued with back-to-back one-point losses in 2017-18. By winning Saturday, Penn State would all but clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff and move very close to nailing down a spot in the Big Ten championship game. Beyond that, the Lions and their coach can free themselves, even if it’s temporary, of the Ohio State and top-five burden that weighs on the program. As he’s done throughout his Penn State tenure, Franklin refused to say that Saturday’s game against the Buckeyes is bigger than any other game on the schedule. “West Virginia was a big game,” he said Wednesday night after practice. “Bowling Green was a big game. If you don’t think it was, lose to Bowling Green and see how people react. They’re all big games. This is a big game because of how we’ve handled the previous six (seven). We don’t change our process.” A victory, though, would change everything for him and the Lions, starting with the perception that he can’t win their biggest games. It would recharge the fan base. It would increase their chances of going 12-0 in the regular season, reaching the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis, winning their first championship in eight years and clinching a first-round bye in the CFP. If Penn State loses again to Ohio State, it would reinforce the notion that Franklin can’t win the big ones. It would enhance the perception that the program is very good, but not elite. Ohio State appears vulnerable after a 32-31 loss at Oregon and a 21-17 win over Nebraska last week. The Buckeyes have lost their top two left tackles because of injuries, which is not ideal against Penn State’s talented defensive ends. They also were ineffective running the ball against the Cornhuskers, even with two talented backs like TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. “We know it’s going to take four quarters in this game,” Day said. “It always does when you play in this environment. It’s a very difficult environment to play in. We’ve been in this situation before. Now it’s time to win this game and get a top-five victory.” The pressure on him is mounting after losing three straight to Michigan, the loss to the No. 1 Ducks and, most significantly, Ohio State’s NIL collective spending a reported $20 million on this roster, perhaps the highest total in the country. That’s why Day nearly blew a gasket last week while disputing a fourth-quarter call. He has more to lose than Franklin, specifically his job. Franklin has much more to gain, like clearing the massive Ohio State hurdle. “It’s a big game,” he said. “Last week (at Wisconsin) was a big game. USC was a big game. We recognize this is a big game.” Some are bigger than others.