It’s homecoming this weekend at Penn State. Time to remember the good times. Time to look back.
Yeah, not so much.
The alums figure to be in a foul mood, given the football team’s struggles. And not even the scheduling of perennial Big Ten doormat Northwestern will likely improve the mood. Not after two weeks that have seen the Nittany Lions stumble against Oregon and face-plant against previously winless UCLA. Not after the obligatory fire-(James) Franklin chants amid the former and the emergence of some uncomplimentary Internet memes after the former. (The head coach as McDonald’s employee? Yikes.)
Certainly the 42-37 loss to the hapless Bruins looms as a tipping point for the Franklin administration, now lurching through its 12th season. If previously he was viewed as a guy who couldn’t win the big one, an unexpected stumble in a small one certainly raised the temperature of his seat that much more.
As ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said Tuesday morning on the show “Get Up”: “(I)t just feels like his time is up.”
The conclusion reached by Finebaum and other astute observers is that firing Franklin would be next to impossible, given a buyout hovering in the $50 million range. But there is the belief that he could at least be nudged out the door. Consider the scenario presented by SI.com’s Pat Forde:
…(T)he administration could straight up tell Franklin that all the program’s revenue sharing and NIL money are likely to be rerouted into sports where the Nittany Lions can actually win something.
That’s good news for the volleyball team, not so much for a coach driven to compete.
Perhaps Franklin will dig in, promise more changes and refuse to leave. He shouldn’t, not with a $2 million exit built into his contract that could see him take any number of openings this coaching cycle.
Head off to Arkansas, Florida, Auburn or even Oklahoma State. Make it be known through your agent that you’ll happily build a program elsewhere that can win over 100 games and become a constant threat to make the playoff. Often the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but he sure needs to find out now.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic reached much the same conclusion, writing that “it might benefit everyone to consider the idea of amicably parting ways at season’s end” and adding,”Franklin would be sought after for other high-level jobs that are bound to open in what will be an eventful coaching carousel. He’s a good coach, and the cost for him to leave is just $2 million. The term ‘mutually part ways’ is usually a lie. It wouldn’t have to be in this case.”
It would be a mistake to say Franklin is a divisive figure, but certainly his used-car-salesman vibe can rub certain segments of the fan base the wrong way, especially when it is not accompanied by significant success on the field. Every year we hear the go-1-0-this-week mantra, and every year the Lions fail to heed it against the big boys. They are 1-10 against Ohio State on his watch, 3-7 against Michigan, 4-21 against AP Top 10 opponents.
Worse, one loss often turns into two. In seven of his 12 seasons, they have had losing streaks of at least two games. In three others, a second loss has come two games after the first.
This year was, of course, supposed to be different. PSU reached the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024, and was ranked No. 2 at the season’s outset. But after fattening up on cupcakes the first three weeks of the season, the food coma has set in with a vengeance.
The loss to third-ranked Oregon was bad, the UCLA loss significantly worse. And in his Monday rehash he suggested that staff changes could be in the offing.
“The coordinators and assistant coaches, I have a ton of confidence in those men,’’ he told reporters. “But, we’re in a results-oriented business, and we need to produce, so my job is to hold everybody accountable. and create an environment where the players and coaches can be successful, and that’s what we’re going to do going forward.’’
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, late of Ohio State, is in his first season and should be safe. But second-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki figures to be less so, given the expectations placed on his unit coming into the season.
The veteran line has underperformed, and quarterback Drew Allar, a third-year starter, is 13th in the Big Ten in passing efficiency, as well as yards per game. While Kaytron Allen has rushed for 377 yards and averaged seven a pop, the other half of the running back tandem, Nick Singleton, has managed 138 fewer yards, on nine more carries – an underwhelming average of 3.8 yards an attempt. Stunning, considering Singleton’s gifts.
Overall the Lions are 11th in the conference in total offense and 10th in total defense, the epitome of mediocrity (or worse). What seems apparent is that they very much miss their two biggest difference-makers from a year ago, tight end Tyler Warren (now with the Colts) and edge rusher Abdul Carter (now with the Giants).
It is conceivable, of course, that PSU could win out and make the playoff. But still ahead is a tricky visit to Iowa, as well as a road game against the top-ranked Buckeyes and a home date against No. 7 Indiana.
It just doesn’t feel like their year. It also feels like change is in the air. And while Franklin might try to save himself by sacrificing an assistant or two, it’s not entirely clear if that will work. Feels like it’s time for him to try to go 1-0 every week somewhere else. Whether the administration can thread the needle and make that happen is another matter, but last Saturday certainly offered a strong indication that it is time to turn the page.