Penn State is on the verge of doing something that it hasn’t done in more than 40 years. The Nittany Lions can post three straight straight 10-win seasons for the first time since 1980-82 with its next two victories. It would be their sixth season with double-digit wins in nine years, the best such stretch since the program’s golden era from 1977-86. Yet some in the sellout crowd of 110,233 at Penn State’s annual White Out Game last week booed coach James Franklin before the Lions trounced Washington 35-6 to improve to 8-1. Those folks were still smarting from another loss to Ohio State a week earlier, the Lions’ 10th in Franklin’s 11 seasons. Granted, his record against the Buckeyes besmirches his accomplishments during his tenure. Penn State, however, is in position to go 11-1 in the regular season for the first time since 2008 and to host a first-round home game in the expanded College Football Playoff. Sometimes that seems to get lost in all the teeth-gnashing about Ohio State. The Lions don’t have a win over an opponent ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, although Illinois was 19th at the time of Penn State’s 21-7 win in September. Neither do Texas or Indiana. But they’re playing a more challenging schedule in the first year of the 18-team Big Ten, which is deeper than it used to be. “The Big Ten is not the Big Ten that we always remember,” Franklin said earlier this week. “Like the SEC (Southeastern Conference) is no longer the SEC that we all remember. “When you bring these teams in and you increase the competition week in and week out, this is not your grandfather’s Big Ten. This is not your father’s Big Ten and the same with the SEC.” Penn State has had few breathers in conference play and few opportunities to create depth. The Lions’ 35-6 rout of Washington last week was only the second time they held a halftime lead against six Big Ten opponents. “You’re not going to have those lopsided games that you’ve had in the past,” Franklin said. “It’s going to be more like the NFL, where a lot of these games are one-possession games.” For the first time in its history, the Big Ten has four of the top five ranked teams in the AP poll: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana. The Lions are heavily favored against Purdue this week and likely will be favored against Minnesota and Maryland. Three wins in those games would put them in the playoff and probably at home Dec. 20 or 21. Criticizing Franklin for the 20-13 loss to Ohio State is understandable. Penn State could have won and remained unbeaten. But not taking a moment to celebrate an 11-1 regular season and Penn State’s first CFP berth would be perplexing. The Lions would be one of as few as six FBS teams with three straight 10-win seasons and would have a chance at the national championship. “Ninety-nine percent of the programs in the country would die to do what we’ve been able to do in our time here,” Franklin said after the Ohio State loss. “But I also understand when you’re at a place like Penn State there are really, really high expectations. I get it. I totally get it.”