James Franklin Might Need To Reset His Clock, But There's $50 Million Reasons To Have Penn State Do It
After the loss to UCLA, James Franklin finds himself under more scrutiny than ever. Penn State’s playoff hopes are fading — and so is the patience of its fanbase.
James Franklin is facing what could be the most adversity of his tenure as a college football coach.
Coming off a shocking 42–37 loss to winless UCLA on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, Franklin finds himself under intense scrutiny for how quickly things have unraveled in Happy Valley.
Penn State fans are understandably upset. Just two weeks ago, the Nittany Lions were viewed as national championship contenders. Now, they’re unranked in the latest AP Top 25 — their playoff hopes hanging by a thread in early October.
Speaking at his Monday press conference, Franklin made sure to point out that these back-to-back Big Ten losses were not going to define the program moving forward.
"I’m not going to allow two games that are extremely disappointing to overshadow the growth that we’ve had in this program over the last 12 years," Franklin said Monday. "So it’s a balance of both of those. The reality is we’re talking about right now and the last two weeks weren’t good enough, and ultimately I’m responsible."
OK, that's fine. Looking ahead is always a smart move. But, the Nittany Lions are one more screw up away from being eliminated from any conversations regarding the college football playoff.
For that point alone, there is an ongoing problem in State College that cannot be denied. Plenty could argue that this is the best football team from a talent perspective that James Franklin has had since taking the Penn State job.
So, for fans to see the train run off the tracks just five games into the season, plenty are wondering whether this marriage can last through any further turmoil. The loss to UCLA wasn’t just about losing on the road.
The UCLA Loss Meant More Than Just A Bad Saturday
This wasn’t a typical road loss. UCLA had just fired head coach DeShaun Foster and replaced its offensive coordinator days before kickoff. The Bruins were in disarray — and yet Penn State still fell apart in a game that was supposed to be a "get right" moment.
Franklin must now answer uncomfortable questions about the stability of his program, even after the school spent nearly $3 million to bring in former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to revamp the defense.
Given what we've seen over the past two games from this defense, the questions are valid.
Now, with a game against Northwestern upcoming this weekend, Franklin finds himself in a very awkward spot, though his $50 million buyout can allow him to not worry about the future, at least financially. Sound familiar?
Nobody wants to win more at Penn State than the current head coach, but this team clearly has issues on both sides of the ball. We thought Drew Allar would be the answer on offense, in the same way we thought Jim Knowles would be the defensive savior with a talented group.
But, we were wrong.
Is It Time For A Reset At Penn State? Probably
I get the frustration that is coming out of State College, and across the state.
The frustration in State College is starting to boil over. Penn State had circled that Oregon matchup for nearly a year, viewing it as a program-defining opportunity. Instead, it triggered a collapse that bled over into the UCLA game.
While there will be plenty of fans wondering whether it's time for Penn State to find an exit ramp for Franklin if this season doesn’t result in a massive turnaround, the buyout terms of his contract would force a tough decision.
Are athletic department officials ready to spend $50 million to find a new coach?
That's how much it would cost to fire Franklin without cause. Obviously, Franklin would rather see this team fighting for a national title, rather than running to reset his clock somewhere else.
But, the part about leaving Penn State for another Power-4 job could be the most logical choice for Franklin, if this team can't find a way to reach the playoff.
Should it even come to this? That depends on who you ask. Franklin is 4-21 against teams ranked in the top 10 during his tenure. But, you never had to worry about him losing games he was supposed to win, until the trip to UCLA.
Results Driven Business, Which James Franklin Is Aware Of
Now, it's all starting to come to the forefront of conversations surrounding the state of the program, and its future.
Add on the fact that Penn State is also spending a lot of money on renovating its football stadium, along with paying their athletes through revenue-sharing, and the athletic department has a monetary problem that could force tough decisions.
Spend a massive amount of money on firing the coach, then hiring a new staff, or making the decision that a change is not financially smart during these times?
Tough call, considering the era we are in right now with college football.
Either way, Penn State will have opportunities this season to right the ship, facing No.1 Ohio State, along with No. 7 Indiana.
But, if the Nittany Lions don't make the playoff, there is going to be a strong push for change.
The question is who will be leading that charge? Maybe it doesn't come to that. But we are one more bad loss from potentially finding out.