James Franklin -Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions by the score of 27-24 in the College Football Playoff semifinal last Thursday at the Orange Bowl. This loss brings Franklin’s overall record against Top 10 opponents to 4-20. With yet another loss against a high-level team, there is another log being placed on the fire under Franklin’s feet.
Now that the season is over for Penn State, the rumors will begin to fly about whether or not Franklin is the right man for the job. Franklin wins the games he is supposed to; however, when it comes to playing a rival or another good program, it seems Franklin can’t get over that hump.
I saw some interesting numbers about Franklin’s tenure at Penn State. Not only is he 4-20 against Top 10 teams, but he is also 1-15 vs. Top 5 opponents, 15-29 against Top 25 teams, and is 4-17 against top rivals Michigan and Ohio State. With those types of numbers against tough competition, it’s easy to see why people are questioning if Franklin is the right man for the job in Happy Valley.
Franklin understands the frustration that is boiling over from the fan base. These were his words following a tough 20-13 loss against Ohio State on Nov. 2. “Nobody is looking in the mirror harder than I am. I’ve said this before, but 99% of programs across college football would die to do what we’ve been able to do in our time here.”
It’s not as if Franklin hasn’t been successful at Penn State. Since Franklin took over the program in 2014, the Nittany Lions have finished the season in the Top 10 on five separate occasions. He has also won the Big 10 title once (2016) and has six more years left on his contract. Franklin also seems to have the support of the Penn State administration so he shouldn’t feel like he is on the hot seat, but at the same time, he knows the big victory must come sooner rather than later.
“I’m not going to give credence to the criticism, because I see it differently,” said Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft, who was hired at Penn State on July 1, 2022, after serving two years as the athletic director at Boston College.
“When I got here, I was really surprised where just the infrastructure and how everything was set up, how behind we really were. Yes, wins and losses are what we are all judged on, but I will tell you, the culture of that building and the young men he brings in and graduates are second to none.
“You don’t see behind the curtain as a fan or just someone watching,” Kraft said, “and when you get behind the curtain, the thing that oozes out for me is culture and family. That’s really how it’s built, but the infrastructure behind it wasn’t matching that culture and we still have a ways to go. So yes, we want to win every single game — that’s the expectation for every program, but to see what he has done and that consistency is what’s remarkable to me.”
It is fortunate for Franklin that he has this kind of support because for the next few weeks, his job security will surely be a part of many sports talk shows. I don’t think any talk of firing Franklin is warranted at this point. No, he hasn’t consistently won the big game, but he has been close. I think with the new landscape in college football, it’s only a matter of time before Penn State is among the college elite once again.
Franklin not only has support from administration, but he also has supporters on his staff and beyond.
“Now that I am here and I see the behind the scenes and the day to day and see how much of a bulldog he is – that’s the word I use – he’s a bulldog for the details and the little things and just being on top of everything,” said Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen. “To me, those criticisms, they’re not fair, but until you win those big games, they’re going to be there. And I think we all as coaches understand that.”
With an overall record of 101-42 overall as head coach for Penn State, Franklin has been very successful during his tenure. I am not sure how many years he has left on the sidelines if he doesn’t win the big game sometime soon. Franklin is a good coach, good recruiter and good at developing talent. At some point, all these things must come together and give Penn State fans the season they have been yearning for since 1986.
The criticism Franklin is facing kind of reminds me of what Jim Harbaugh had to endure while coaching at the University of Michigan. For years, Harbaugh had trouble winning the big game, routinely losing to Ohio State and Michigan State when Michigan had the better team on paper. Eventually, Harbaugh got over the hump by beating Michigan and then capturing a national championship before heading back to the NFL.
Now, I am not saying that James Franklin is as good of a coach as Jim Harbaugh, but he is no slouch. I for one will be rooting for Franklin to get over the hump, the same way I did for Harbaugh. Eventually, Franklin will put the pieces in place and make all of his doubters eat their words.
