James Franklin gets into embarrassing shouting match with fan after Ohio State loss

Penn State fans are frustrated with James Franklin and frankly, James Franklin is probably frustrated with James Franklin too. After another loss to Ohio State in Week 10, his 10th in 11 tries since taking over the Penn State football program in 2014, Franklin and his team were booed by sections of the 111,000+ fans, part of a record-breaking crowd at Beaver Stadium, but one fan had their voice heard much more than others. 

As Franklin was heading into the tunnel following the 20-13 loss to the Buckeyes, he took a detour over to the stands to engage in a shouting match with a heckling young fan. Franklin asked the fan for their name amidst the embarrassing confrontation for the head coach who is already in hot water after another loss to his program’s biggest Big Ten rival. 

Much of the Penn State fanbase is calling for Franklin, who received a $75 million 10-year contract extension following the 2021 season, to be fired, and this immature confrontation will only fuel that fire. 

Franklin is now 1-10 against Ohio State and is 1-14 against top 5 opponents, many of which have been the Buckeyes. 

With every loss, the number of exacerbated fans in Happy Valley will only grow, and if those fans see that Franklin is willing to engage with their heckling, it will only embolden them. This heckling fan got exactly what they wanted, a reaction, and he won’t be the last to try. Franklin should probably direct more of his attention to learning the names of wide receivers in the transfer portal this offseason than heckling fans.