It was only two weeks ago that Penn State's biggest problem was its inability to win big games. That ongoing issue caused endless anguish at University Park, but fans are yearning for those days right now. A stagnant program that was still positioned for a second straight College Football Playoff appearance is now tumbling backwards at an unfathomably rapid rate. One week after a loss to winless UCLA, the Nittany Lions fell at home versus Northwestern, 22-21. James Franklin is plastered on wanted posters all throughout Pennsylvania.
The longtime Penn State football head coach is used to suffocating criticism, but a track record that includes five campaigns with 11 or more wins in the last nine seasons has helped him retain his post. Actually, the athletic department signed him to a 10-year contract extension in 2021, a move that many people are cussing out right now.
What Franklin has done for the program cannot be dismissed. He catapulted the team back into national relevance, but that accolade will be much harder to appreciate after Saturday's embarrassment.
Penn State, perhaps still reeling from an overtime heartbreaker versus Oregon and a stunner at UCLA, melted in the face of a vastly inferior Northwestern squad. Adding to the devastation, quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury late in the game.
The ship is sinking, and Franklin is scrambling to find a life vest. Many fans adamantly believe this damaged vessel needs to find a new captain immediately.
James Franklin is under fire
“There’s no excuses,” Barstool Penn State posted on X. “There’s nothing else to be done. You cannot call yourself a serious football program with James Franklin as the head coach. It’s over. It’s done. You can’t come back after this. It’s over.” Ouch. “James Franklin torched his career in 14 days,” @CoryGiger said. “Goodbye.”
“James Franklin can't win the big game, they said,” @UrinatingTree remarked. “He challenged that narrative and succeeded: He can't win any game now.”
“James Franklin is 10000000% getting fired,” @Behavioristt commented. “Started #2 rank overall. Three awful losses in a row. Losing high ranked recruits.” Four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor decommitted from Penn State after last Saturday's 42-37 defeat to the Bruins. One has to wonder if more incoming players will think twice about their college plans, especially since the man who recruited them may not be in charge for much longer.
“James Franklin is about to get paid a lot money to not coach Penn State,” @legsanity predicted. If the school wishes to move on from the 2016 Big Ten champion, it will have to pay a hefty buyout fee. Though, that may be a sacrifice the shot-callers are willing to accept in order to move toward potentially brighter days.
Franklin hopes that his 104-44 record with the Nittany Lions will earn himself a shot at redemption.
