Who's going to take over for James Franklin now that he's been fired by Penn State? Several names are already standing out, with Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule being at the top of the list for a lot of fans out there. Would he make sense?
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Rhule is a veteran of the game and he's turning things around at Nebraska. Don't forget that he's a Penn State alum too. However, as enticing as a Rhule hire might seem for people, his record against ranked teams should lead to some pause. On top of that, his record against Top 10 opponents? Not great:
I’m seeing some buzz for Matt Rhule to Penn State.
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) October 12, 2025
He is 2-23 against Ranked Teams in his career.
0-11 against Top 10 Teams.
Just no.
Why would you fire James Franklin just to hire a worse version of James Franklin?
Matt Rhule's record against Top 10 teams should give Penn State some pause
So, Rhule is 2-23 against ranked teams in his coaching career and he's never beaten a Top 10 squad? The fact that he's 0-11 against teams in the Top 10 isn't ideal. Part of the reason Franklin was let go was that he just couldn't get the job done in primetime action.
During his time leading the Nittany Lions, Franklin was 4-21 against Top 10 opponents, with his .160 winning percentage there being tied for the third-worst for a college coach ever. It seemed like whenever Franklin and Penn State faced an elite team, the Nittany Lions would fold like a cheap chair.
Is this what would happen if Penn State hired Rhule to take over? That's hard to say, but it's definitely not a great look that he also has his struggles in that department. Rhule is a program builder and something tells us he'd be able to right the ship with all the resources PSU would be able to provide him.
He's obviously not the only candidate that people are taking a strong look at, with Curt Cignetti, Matt Campbell and others being linked to the job. Pat Kraft doesn't have an easy decision on the way in terms of his Franklin replacement, but there's a reason he's in the big boy chair. If he does end up going with Rhule, Penn State fans can only hope he figures things out against ranked teams and that more heartbreaking losses won't be on the way.