Penn State Fans Rejoice After School Dumps Perpetual Underachiever James Franklin

The James Franklin era at Penn State is finally, mercifully, over. The school fired Franklin on Sunday, less than 24 hours after an embarrassing home loss to Northwestern. Penn State became the first school in 30 years to lose back-to-back games as 20+ point favorites in both contests. 

They inexplicably lost at previously winless UCLA on Oct. 4. That came one week after a heartbreaking overtime loss against Oregon. Saturday's loss against Northwestern was the final nail in the coffin, bringing Franklin's tenure to an end. 

As a Penn State fan and graduate, I say: Hallelujah! I never cared for Franklin, who I had the chance to meet early in his tenure with the Nittany Lions. He gave off strong used-car-salesman vibes. Clearly a good talker, but everything about him felt fake. 

I was fortunate to meet many college football coaches when I worked on the Paul Finebaum Show at ESPN and Franklin was one of my least favorite. I could see why he was a good recruiter. He had a way of making people feel important. He remembered my name 10 minutes after meeting him, which most people would probably like. 

I didn't. It felt weird. It felt like a trick he used to later sell himself to you. To his credit, it worked when recruiting high school kids. Franklin consistently brought talent to Happy Valley. But, at the end of the day, he couldn't win on the field. 

Franklin lacked the tactical superiority of the sport's best coaches. Even that feels strong. He lacked the in-game strategy that even average college football coaches possess. He failed to develop quarterbacks, which is unacceptable in modern football. He wasted Drew Allar, a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

And, to state the obvious, he never won a big game. Sure, Penn State advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. But that had less to do with Franklin and the Nittany Lions than it did with their path to the final four. Penn State had an extremely fortunate draw, facing SMU and Boise State in its first two postseason games. 

But they lost to Notre Dame in the semifinal, in a game Penn State probably should have won. But Franklin was outcoached by Marcus Freeman, a staple of the Franklin tenure. There's a reason that Penn State and college football fans sarcastically nicknamed Franklin "Big Game James." 

Penn State fired head coach James Franklin after an embarrassing three-game losing streak. 

(Matthew O'Haren/Imagn Images)

Franklin faced Top 10 opponents 25 times as head coach at Penn State. He won four of those games. That's unacceptable at a school that should regularly compete for Big Ten and National Championships. 

But Franklin usually managed to win the games he was supposed to win. That's what helped him keep his job for over a decade. Penn State was never really bad under Franklin. Its only sub-.500 season came in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, which doesn't even really count. 

However, he failed to take them from good to great, losing at least two games every year of his tenure. But the talent was undeniable. The Nittany Lions were ranked in the Top 10 of the AP poll at least once during each season since 2016. That consistency should have led to championships, but it didn't. 

Penn State watched from the sidelines as Michigan won the National Championship in 2023 and Ohio State claimed the crown in 2024. Seeing its two biggest rivals win it all, Penn State brass wanted to watch its team compete at the same level. 

That brought us to 2025, with expectations at an all-time high. The Lions entered the season as the No. 2 team in the country, their highest preseason ranking since 1997. But the losses to Oregon and UCLA knocked Penn State out of the Top 25, and then they appeared completely lifeless on Saturday against Northwestern. 

Every Penn State fan called for Franklin's job following that disaster, and the school obliged. As expected, PSU fans and grads celebrated the school's decision. 

Of course, now the question becomes: Who do Penn State fans want to replace Franklin? To that I say, let's not worry about it right now. This is a decision that cannot be rushed. Interview anyone and everyone. Find someone who embodies Penn State football. Most importantly, find someone who understands football. 

Unfortunately, that's what Franklin lacked most.