Penn State football hired former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, ending what was an embarrassing head coach hunt since firing incoming Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin on Oct. 12.
Penn State is hiring another James Franklin and that’s not a bad thing
After a sigh of relief knowing someone is taking the job in Happy Valley, an initial red flag waves directly in the face: Campbell's record against top-ranked teams.
The purpose of firing Franklin was to improve, have an upgrade from his already-high ceiling. One of the biggest things is finding a coach that can win the big ones. That's why candidates, like Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, were controversial. Why would the Nittany Lions fire Franklin just hire another, if not worse?
That's the red flag in Campbell. His record against ranked opponents is nothing exciting, if anything, it's worrisome.
Matt Campbell's record against Top 25 opponents isn't as concerning as it looks
Campbell holds a 16-27 record against Top 25 opponents with the Cyclones. Franklin is 15-28 at Penn State. Against Top 10 teams, Campbell is 4-6 while Franklin is 4-21.
In terms of wins, these numbers are nearly identical. The Top 25 records are almost the exact same, especially. So, why is this not a bad thing? If Rhule was criticized because of his record against ranked opponents, why shouldn't Campbell?
James Franklin/Matt Campbell vs Top 25 Opponents:
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) December 5, 2025
Franklin: 15-28
Campbell: 16-27
Improvement 💪 pic.twitter.com/r7MpYtf4uV
The Top 10 records are the first obvious differences. Percentage wise, Campbell is over 50 percent better against Top 10 teams than Franklin. At Penn State, Franklin won 15 percent of those games compared to Campbell's 36 percent.
On top of that stark difference, Franklin won nearly 35 percent of games against Top 25 teams. Campbell won roughly 37 percent. Even though these are similar numbers, Campbell's win hold a lot more weight.
He had significantly less to work with leading the Cyclones than Franklin did with the Nittany Lions.
The "do more with less" perspective sets Campbell apart from other candidates, like Rhule. If he got Iowa State to compete with top-ranked opponents, what will he be able to do at Penn State? Campbell will have more resources to work with and a bigger stage in the Big Ten to accomplish what the Nittany Lions need. While Campbell is 1-5 in his last six matchups against Top 10 teams, if he has more to work with in Happy Valley, a 20 percent win rate can advance.
Franklin couldn't win the big games with a lot falling in his favor. In comparison, Campbell fought hard with his back against the wall and succeeded the same amount as Franklin. The face value records only tell so much of the story.