A week after he was unceremoniously fired in his 12th season at Penn State, James Franklin went on ESPN’s College Gameday and declared that he wants to get back to competing for national championships as soon as possible. If he’s serious about that goal, then the first College Football Playoff Rankings of the year may have just limited his potential landing spots.
The most heavily rumored destination for Franklin so far in the weeks since his dismissal is Virginia Tech, where he could replace his former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry. Franklin recruited the state of Virginia very well during his time in Happy Valley and would be a natural fit in Blacksburg. However, the CFP Committee sent a message on Tuesday night that the ACC is a second-class league in college football.
Not only was there not a single ACC Team ranked inside the Top 12 on Tuesday night, but three Big 12 teams appeared before No. 14 Virginia, the ACC’s highest-ranked representative. After sending Clemson and SMU to the postseason a year ago, it’s obvious that the ACC is a one-bid league, and that may not change anytime soon.
So, if winning the ACC is the only way for Franklin to make the College Football Playoff in the ACC, would he rethink his interest in the Hokies?
Should James Franklin hold out for a Big Ten or SEC opening?
The Big Ten and SEC are only going to grow stronger, both in the power of their programs and in their influence over the structure of the College Football Playoff. The ACC has a narrow path into the CFP as it is currently constructed, but what about when Florida State and Clemson finally get their wish and defect from the league? Will the ACC Champion even be guaranteed a spot?
Virginia Tech’s desperation to have a seat on the life raft when the ACC finally capsizes will add to the program’s urgency to compete with a coach like Franklin. So the Hokies could throw a Godfather offer in front of Franklin to make CFP path considerations a moot point, but barring a massive financial commitment, he could be better off holding out for a gig in the Big Ten or SEC.
It’s an interesting discussion, because the path to winning the conference at Virginia Tech is much clearer than at Auburn, Arkansas, or UCLA. However, the security that comes from being locked into one of the sport’s true Power Conferences and not suddenly becoming one of the sport’s have-nots could be even more appealing.
If concerns about the ACC’s viability hadn’t crossed his mind before, they likely crept into the back of it, if not jumping to the forefront on Tuesday night.