With No. 3 Penn State’s 20-13 loss to No. 4 Ohio State in Week 10, James Franklin fell to 1-10 against the Buckeyes in his 11 seasons as the head coach of Penn State and 1-14 against top 5 teams. Franklin’s Nittany Lions were gifted a pick-six on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s first pass of the game, and had a chance to tie the score at 20 late in the fourth quarter, but were stopped on four consecutive plays within the Ohio State five-yard line.
After another close loss in a big game against an elite opponent, Penn State fans are predictably calling for James Franklin to be fired. Not just the fans on social media, but many of the 111,000+ in attendance at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
Some boos in the tunnel as James Franklin exits. Fire Franklin chants as well. Franklin is now 1-10 vs the Buckeyes. pic.twitter.com/BGGr8gu408
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) November 2, 2024
However, the ones on social media are making sure that their voices are heard as well. Much of Penn State’s fanbase wants Franklin fired despite signing a 10-year $75 million contract after the 2021 season.
James Franklin is a loser (not as a person, as a coach). End of story.
— Jason Allan (@RadioJasonAllan) November 2, 2024
Now 1-14 against top 5 teams. PSU continues to be a team that beats everyone, except the good teams.
Good coaches find a way. Franklin NEVER finds a way. He's not a good coach. Time to move on#FireFranklin
James Franklin should absolutely be fired. PSU is poorly coached, and it's not like their roster is loaded with elite recruits that they never would've gotten without him.
— Joe (@JoeA_NFL) November 2, 2024
Franklin has restored Penn State as a perennial Big Ten contender since taking over in 2014, but the only year he was able to break through and win a conference title was 2016 when he needed a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown to beat the Buckeyes and an early season loss to Pitt kept his team out of the four-team College Football Playoff.
You just have to fire James Franklin. Enough is enough
— Jon Conahan (@JonConahan) November 2, 2024
With the 12-team College Football Playoff, 11-1 will be good enough for the Nittany Lions to play for a national championship, but that’s not enough for frustrated Nittany Lions supporters who would have little faith in their head coach in a CFP game.
Absolutely the worst big game coach I've ever seen. At any level. In any sport. Fire James Franklin.
— TMac Blows (@TMacBlows) November 2, 2024
Franklin will almost certainly hold onto his job, and should because assembling a consistent contender will be rewarded with the expanding playoff. Franklin’s team was outmatched by an Ohio State roster that is arguably the most talented in the country and took plenty of NIL dollars to assemble, money that Franklin hasn’t had access to.
Penn State is finally catching up in NIL and improving its facilities to keep pace with Ohio State and Oregon, and with revenue sharing coming soon, those discrepancies will close. If Franklin continues to come up short on an even playing field, then it’ll be time for him to go.