BREAKING James Franklin Fired Per CBS Sports

[colbysullivan]

I don't know what it is, but I think there's something else going on here.

Last year, Penn State went to the playoff and won its first game, losing to Notre Dame by 3 points in the second round. This year, as the meme points out, they led #3 Oregon in OT.

Now, 6 games removed from the CFP, and three weeks after almost beating Oregon, they're paying Franklin $49 million to go away.

The two games after Oregon were bad. They lost to a previously winless UCLA team. At the postgame conference, Franklin looked like he thought he was in trouble, saying something like, "...mumble, mumble, ummmmm.... jet lag....ummmm, mumble, mumble."

Then they lost to Northwestern at home, and he looked like the dead man walking that he knew he was. I agree with the earlier post that speculated Franklin was taking in the stadium one last time as he was being sent off with boo birds ringing in his ear.

Still, here's the timeline:
2024 -- 2nd round of CFP
September 14 -- Week 4 AP Poll -- #2
September 28 -- Week 6 AP Poll -- still #7 after the loss to Oregon in OT. Oregon now the #2 team.
October 5 -- Lose to previously winless UCLA as a 3TD+ favorite. Bad loss. Clearly unprepared.
October 12 -- Lose by 1 at home to Northwestern as a 3TD favorite
October 13 -- Fired with $49 million buyout.

My smell-o-meter is redlined. There's something going on other than losses to UCLA and Northwestern.

My guess is Franklin simply lost the team. Drew Allar had a huge injury and not a single player helped him off the field or even seemed to care. Bottom line, they're not a team right now.

 

[bamamc1]

Now him I could see at the barn.

He did beat Bama once.

 

[GrayTide]

PSU needs to call Curt Cignetti’s
agent.

 

[pelleas]

I don't know what it is, but I think there's something else going on here.

Last year, Penn State went to the playoff and won its first game, losing to Notre Dame by 3 points in the second round. This year, as the meme points out, they led #3 Oregon in OT.

Now, 6 games removed from the CFP, and three weeks after almost beating Oregon, they're paying Franklin $49 million to go away.

The two games after Oregon were bad. They lost to a previously winless UCLA team. At the postgame conference, Franklin looked like he thought he was in trouble, saying something like, "...mumble, mumble, ummmmm.... jet lag....ummmm, mumble, mumble."

Then they lost to Northwestern at home, and he looked like the dead man walking that he knew he was. I agree with the earlier post that speculated Franklin was taking in the stadium one last time as he was being sent off with boo birds ringing in his ear.

Still, here's the timeline:
2024 -- 2nd round of CFP
September 14 -- Week 4 AP Poll -- #2
September 28 -- Week 6 AP Poll -- still #7 after the loss to Oregon in OT. Oregon now the #2 team.
October 5 -- Lose to previously winless UCLA as a 3TD+ favorite. Bad loss. Clearly unprepared.
October 12 -- Lose by 1 at home to Northwestern as a 3TD favorite
October 13 -- Fired with $49 million buyout.

My smell-o-meter is redlined. There's something going on other than losses to UCLA and Northwestern.

Yes, or, to put it another way, perhaps the losses weren't the cause of his firing, but the effects of the deeper problems that led to his firing.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

He did beat Bama once.

And he is arrogant as heck...

 

[bamajas]

I don't know what it is, but I think there's something else going on here.

Last year, Penn State went to the playoff and won its first game, losing to Notre Dame by 3 points in the second round. This year, as the meme points out, they led #3 Oregon in OT.

Now, 6 games removed from the CFP, and three weeks after almost beating Oregon, they're paying Franklin $49 million to go away.

The two games after Oregon were bad. They lost to a previously winless UCLA team. At the postgame conference, Franklin looked like he thought he was in trouble, saying something like, "...mumble, mumble, ummmmm.... jet lag....ummmm, mumble, mumble."

Then they lost to Northwestern at home, and he looked like the dead man walking that he knew he was. I agree with the earlier post that speculated Franklin was taking in the stadium one last time as he was being sent off with boo birds ringing in his ear.

Still, here's the timeline:
2024 -- 2nd round of CFP
September 14 -- Week 4 AP Poll -- #2
September 28 -- Week 6 AP Poll -- still #7 after the loss to Oregon in OT. Oregon now the #2 team.
October 5 -- Lose to previously winless UCLA as a 3TD+ favorite. Bad loss. Clearly unprepared.
October 12 -- Lose by 1 at home to Northwestern as a 3TD favorite
October 13 -- Fired with $49 million buyout.

My smell-o-meter is redlined. There's something going on other than losses to UCLA and Northwestern.

For what it’s worth, When PSU hired him, he had Vandy players caught up in sexual assault type trouble

 

[Windsortide]

Must’ve been internal. The team might’ve quit on him.

If the endorsement thing is true, that will be a whole new level of pressure for universities to deal with.

You think coaches had to shake babies and kiss hands before?

“Sorry James, but Adidas says no NIL contribution if you’re here next year, so we are going to have to let you go.”

That will definitely raise the level of ppressure on getting W’s going forward especially in a place that I don’t think will win a National Title anytime soon. BTW take a look at Indiana’s schedule. Something needs to be done about that. SMH

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Yes, or, to put it another way, perhaps the losses weren't the cause of his firing, but the effects of the deeper problems that led to his firing.

Agreed.

I don't know what the deeper problems are, but they'll eventually become public. Whatever they are, they couldn't have had much impact in 2024, and blew up inside of a month in 2025.

There are multiple credible sources speculating that Adidas tied its sponsorship deal to Franklin's firing -- going so far as to agree to pay the buyout. If true, that's a really bad sign, not only for Penn State, but CFB as a whole......unless Adidas knew of something Franklin did (or something he knew about but did nothing to stop) that was so bad the stink would rub off on them for being associated with the program in any way whatsoever.

There's some nasty smell here. I don't know the source, but it'll come out.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

PSU needs to call Curt Cignetti’s
agent.

That would be my first call as well. But apparently Cignetti has a chip on his shoulder and wants to give the middle finger to the "big dogs" of college football by taking traditionally bad Indiana team and beating them. BUT, the reporter who said the above did say that if Cignetti had a weak spot, the Penn St job would probably be it. But other than that, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[colbysullivan]

That would be my first call as well. But apparently Cignetti has a chip on his shoulder and wants to give the middle finger to the "big dogs" of college football by taking traditionally bad Indiana team and beating them. BUT, the reporter who said the above did say that if Cignetti had a weak spot, the Penn St job would probably be it. But other than that, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Cignetti has no reason to leave Indiana. They will pay him whatever he wants. Not only that, but he's already winning. Why start over?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Agreed.

I don't know what the deeper problems are, but they'll eventually become public. Whatever they are, they couldn't have had much impact in 2024, and blew up inside of a month in 2025.

There are multiple credible sources speculating that Adidas tied its sponsorship deal to Franklin's firing -- going so far as to agree to pay the buyout. If true, that's a really bad sign, not only for Penn State, but CFB as a whole......unless Adidas knew of something Franklin did (or something he knew about but did nothing to stop) that was so bad the stink would rub off on them for being associated with the program in any way whatsoever.

There's some nasty smell here. I don't know the source, but it'll come out.

Franklin always struck me as the type of coach in the mold of Kevin Sumlin. When he first gets there, you'd see big improvement but ultimately would level off to a 8-10 win type of coach. Franklin never struck me as a "championship" type of coach.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Cignetti has no reason to leave Indiana. They will pay him whatever he wants. Not only that, but he's already winning. Why start over?

And the scary thing is he's winning with zero five star players and barely any four star players.

 

[colbysullivan]

And the scary thing is he's winning with zero five star players and barely any four star players.

I was convinced Indiana was a fraud last year. I was convinced they were a fraud this year...and then they absolutely dominated Oregon.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I was convinced Indiana was a fraud last year. I was convinced they were a fraud this year...and then they absolutely dominated Oregon.

I'll play devil's advocate a bit, but I don't know how "great" Oregon is. They get all the media attention about having all the money to buy the best players, but in reality, they're buying players with the most stars and hoping they become the best players. As we know, MANY of the four and five stars don't turn into difference makers. I'm not saying Indiana isn't legit, I believe they're more legit this year than last. But I'm also not convinced that Oregon is that great either.

 

[sanjosecrimson]

View attachment 53588

Auburn fans are seething and jealous at this point

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I'll play devil's advocate a bit, but I don't know how "great" Oregon is. They get all the media attention about having all the money to buy the best players, but in reality, they're buying players with the most stars and hoping they become the best players. As we know, MANY of the four and five stars don't turn into difference makers. I'm not saying Indiana isn't legit, I believe they're more legit this year than last. But I'm also not convinced that Oregon is that great either.

Oregon barely beat penn state, so maybe they aren't as good as their hype?

 

[sanjosecrimson]

I was convinced Indiana was a fraud last year. I was convinced they were a fraud this year...and then they absolutely dominated Oregon.

Unless they trip up at Penn St or Maryland, they are going to be undefeated in the regular season. They don't play Ohio St or Michigan. They will not face another ranked opponent for the remainder of the year. there is a lot of football left, anything can happen.

 

[colbysullivan]

Unless they trip up at Penn St or Maryland, they are going to be undefeated in the regular season. They don't play Ohio St or Michigan. They will not face another ranked opponent for the remainder of the year. there is a lot of football left, anything can happen.

Yep. Their schedule is a joke, but they appear to be a real team this year. They were a complete fraud last year. Something needs to be done to take SoS into account properly.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Yep. Their schedule is a joke, but they appear to be a real team this year. They were a complete fraud last year. Something needs to be done to take SoS into account properly.

The Big 10 sets up the schedules for their top teams that way. Ohio St will literally play two ranked teams the entire regular season. Alabama will play six.

 

[Probius]

There’s no better gig in America than getting fired as a big-time college football coach

I would give anything to be fired by one of these major college football teams.