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Just why did Penn State fire James Franklin?
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:46 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:46 am
I'm still confused about that one. Sure, Franklin isn't the most likable guy but he wasn't in 2014 when they hired him away from Vandy. They were in the CFB semifinals less than a year ago. I just figured they had "a guy" lined up. No offense go Matt Campbell, who has done a fine job, but when they canned Franklin were they thinking "now we can get the Iowa State guy?"
Just seems like a huge mess
Just seems like a huge mess
20
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:50 am to I-59 Tiger
The delusional fan base was in full revolt and apparently Kraft and Franklin did not get along at all.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:51 am to I-59 Tiger
They thought they were Ohio State and Michigan level prestige, but they’re more like Iowa and Wisconsin.
This post was edited on 12/8/25 at 8:54 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:51 am to I-59 Tiger
Matt Campbell is a better coach. And it's not close.
I bet you only watch the SEC and ESPiN talking heads.
I bet you only watch the SEC and ESPiN talking heads.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:53 am to El Segundo Guy
quote:
Matt Campbell is a better coach. And it's not close.
I think Campbell is very good, and a good fit, but if he is a better coach than Franklin, it isn’t by much.
Franklin’s run there is arguably as good as any stretch of Penn State football since joining the Big Ten.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:55 am to El Segundo Guy
quote:
Matt Campbell is a better coach. And it's not close.
It's most definitely close
Posted on 12/8/25 at 8:59 am to I-59 Tiger
The short answer (I'm guessing) is that they came to the conclusion that it was never going to happen under Franklin.
I tend to agree that they were wrong. They were likely blinded by the preseason ranking. They couldn't handle that this team really wasn't as good as they everyone was saying they were. Honestly, I thought last year's team wasn't as good as it ended up. Allar has never been a very good QB IMO.
I tend to agree that they were wrong. They were likely blinded by the preseason ranking. They couldn't handle that this team really wasn't as good as they everyone was saying they were. Honestly, I thought last year's team wasn't as good as it ended up. Allar has never been a very good QB IMO.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:00 am to I-59 Tiger
quote:
Just why did Penn State fire James Franklin?
My best guess is they saw what Cignetti was doing at Indiana and assumed he would jump at the chance to go back to PA if they offered him the job.
They took a gamble and lost. Matt Campbell is a pretty damn good consolation prize, though.
This post was edited on 12/8/25 at 9:02 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:06 am to VADawg
quote:
My best guess is they saw what Cignetti was doing at Indiana and assumed he would jump at the chance to go back to PA if they offered him the job.
This seems likely. Franklin was fired on 10/12 & Cignetti signed an extension with Indiana on 10/16.
This was after Penn State lost at home to Northwestern & after Indiana went to Oregon & won.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:06 am to El Segundo Guy
quote:
Matt Campbell is a better coach
Is he???… probably not… Franklin would have probably built a better roster in Ames
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:07 am to moneyg
quote:
They were likely blinded by the preseason ranking. They couldn't handle that this team really wasn't as good as they everyone was saying they were.
Basically the same thing as LSU.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:08 am to LSUGrad9295
quote:
Basically the same thing as LSU
True, but LSU played in the Texas Bowl last year. Penn State ,in effect was in the 'Final Four' last year.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:09 am to lepdagod
quote:
Is he???… probably not… Franklin would have probably built a better roster in Ames
Go do a before and after Matt Campbell comparison on Iowa State football. Job he did there was very good, and in over a century, nobody had more success there. One of the worst programs in major CFB history before him. It is one of the hardest jobs in the country.
This post was edited on 12/8/25 at 9:10 am
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:14 am to The Third Leg
quote:
Go do a before and after Matt Campbell comparison on Iowa State football.
I’m aware of their history… I still think Franklin the better coach… he for sure a better recruiter… I don’t think he’ll be as successful as Franklin was at Penn State
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:16 am to I-59 Tiger
The fans revolted against Franklin. When they played NW 100k fans were chanting fire Franklin.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:17 am to I-59 Tiger
They have a a misplaced sense of importance on the national stage. They figured they would be a destination job for a lot of top coaches. They are fortunate they backed into Campbell, even though they will claim he was their top guy all along.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:17 am to The Third Leg
My guess it was the implosion and 3 straight losses. It's one thing to keep a coach who wins games he should and can't get over the hump. It's an entirely different thing when it looks like the team quits and you lose to 2 teams in a row that you should beat.
Going back to 2021, Franklin had only lost to 1 unranked team and that was in 9 overtimes.
Going 0-2 to unranked teams after losing to Oregon in overtime probably showed that he had lost the team.
Going back to 2021, Franklin had only lost to 1 unranked team and that was in 9 overtimes.
Going 0-2 to unranked teams after losing to Oregon in overtime probably showed that he had lost the team.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:17 am to VADawg
Cignetti is 64 years old. You don’t fire a head coach to build a better program with a 64 year old. You’ll see soon.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:19 am to lepdagod
I don’t disagree, but I think they’re pretty similar in style and quality. I could see Penn State eating Campbell alive quickly with their program meddling and unreasonable expectations.
Posted on 12/8/25 at 9:19 am to OhioLSUfan
quote:
The fans revolted against Franklin. When they played NW 100k fans were chanting fire Franklin.
I believe you,but why? With the midseason firings there are some parallels to Penn State and LSU's situations but Franklin accomplished a whole lot more than Kelly did.
Maybe the fellow above is correct in that PSU felt they could get Cignetti.
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