James Franklin is closing in on the third most victories in the history of Penn State football. He already has the second-best winning percentage in the history of the program among coaches with 100 or more games. And yet, he's a complete disappointment in one of the most important stats of all: Wins against top opponents.
Franklin is 1-6 against Top 5 teams. He's 3-17 against Top 10 teams. He's 1-9 against Ohio State and 3-7 against Michigan, with the Wolverines improving a three-game winning streak over the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
It's hard to argue Penn State fans should be satisfied with their head coach when he keeps losing the biggest games of the season. And Nittany Lions fans certainly aren't satisfied based on the reaction of fans in the tunnel after losing to Michigan, 24-15.
Penn State fans let James Franklin hear their displeasure after loss to Michigan
It's a bad enough feeling to lose a game to a team without their head coach on the sideline. Boos in the tunnel will only make it hurt more.
Penn State is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
On one hand, they have a coach who has kept the program stable and relatively successful. Franklin has won 11 games four times in nine seasons. He's won a Rose Bowl, a Cotton Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl. He's had just one losing campaign, and that was during the COVID-19-impacted season.
On the other hand, he's likely hit his ceiling. A program with national title inspirations like Penn State is dreaming bigger than Franklin can apparently deliver.
Moving on from Franklin would mean a massive financial commitment because of his sizable buyout. It could also mean plunging the program into darkness if they don't get the hire right. Keeping him could mean plugging away in the Big Ten with no hope of actually winning anything of note. The boos already show the discontent in the fanbase. Eventually they'll vote with their feet.
