Fire Franklin
By: Connor Lenahan
“He just needs to get his own people in the system.”
He’s in his third year as the head coach.
“He wants to run the same offense he ran at Vanderbilt.”
He forced a five-star recruit, a talented pocket passer, to play an option offense behind the worst offensive line in college football.
“He’s going to be good once he gets his scholarship players in.”
He had three NFL players on the defensive line last year and still went 7-6.
I have been frustrated with James Franklin as the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for three full seasons now and we keep having the same conversations. My parents, my brothers, and my friends that are students or alumni. We keep finding ways to excuse back to back seven-win seasons. Yes, I will give him the allowance of Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State as understandable losses, but Temple and Pitt?
Today was the breaking point. Penn State walked into their biggest non-conference rival’s stadium, a game that has been on the minds of every player and fan for multiple years, and started the game in a 28-7 hole. Pitt, as talented as James Conner is, is not winning a national championship this year. Penn State certainly isn’t either.
We’ve been patient. We’ve waited to see what he could do. But let’s admit the honest truth about Penn State in 2016: Without Saquon Barkley, I’m not sure this team is even remotely good.
I want to see Trace McSorely develop, and I am excited for the young players that the program is fostering, but it’s overdue that they get someone that is ready to elevate the program alongside them.
Fire James Franklin. It’s time.
You are a fool. Patience is the only thing we have to return to glory. Franklin needs five years. A couple stats to consider. Pitt started 13 seniors. Penn state has 8 on the team. We are still among the youngest teams in NCAA D-1.
Bad recruiting can set a team back a decade. See Notre Dame after Weis and Willingham. Penn State did not suffer bad recruiting, we suffered insufficient recruiting and have not had a losing season. Not to bad when you are under- manned against EVERY team.
And before you extoll the virtues of Meyer or Harbaugh keep in mind they took over very talented teams, so the comparisons today are not apples to apples.
The rest of your observations contradict each other. Chill out, root on the kids and be proud when they hit their stride with experience. In 2019 we have a serious conversation.