On a day when Dabo Swinney’s 1-3 Clemson Tigers pounded Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels 38-10, and Arch Manning threw two interceptions in the first SEC loss of his career to a 1-3 Florida team to temporarily save Billy Napier’s, somehow, James Franklin and Penn State became the top story.
It would have been nearly impossible for Manning to live up to all the offseason hype heading into his first year as Texas’s starting quarterback, hailing him as the Heisman Trophy favorite and No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, few would have foreseen the preseason No. 1 team falling to 3-2 with a road loss and the former five-star QB having five interceptions through his first five games.
Manning has yet to beat a Power Four opponent this season, and his only Power 4 win as a starter came over Mississippi State last season. He has looked uncomfortable in the pocket, relying more on his legs than his arm in big spots. Though there were flashes of brilliance in the Swamp, he failed to lead the Longhorns back and nearly threw a game-sealing third interception in the final seconds before he was sacked to salt the final seconds away.
Despite sitting for two years behind Quinn Ewers in Austin, Manning hasn’t looked ready to lead one of the sport’s premier programs. Or worse, he doesn’t have the physical talents to ever reach the lofty expectations set before him, something that seemed like an impossibility just two months ago.
James Franklin is college football's biggest punching bag
Yet, the struggles of football royalty will be shrouded by No. 7 Penn State’s 42-37 loss to a previously winless UCLA team and the dazzling performance of another former five-star QB, Nico Iamaleava. The Bruins’ QB carved Penn State’s defense, and Drew Allar couldn’t keep pace as the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff hopes all but slipped away.
In the eyes of the Penn State fanbase and much of the college football watching public, Franklin has been on the hot seat for his struggles in big games and 4-21 record against Top 10 teams across his 12 years in Happy Valley. Now, after a loss to UCLA, a pricey buyout may be the only thing standing in the program’s way.
Social media was ready to pile on Franklin, with nearly as much vitriol as Manning has faced this season. While Penn State’s disappointing loss won’t entirely distract from Texas’s, the two programs and their leaders will at least share the headlines this week.