Kirk Ferentz: Where Does He Rank Among Big Ten Coaches?
By Jeremy Karll
No. 8 – James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions (19-15)
After back-to-back ranked and nine win seasons at Vanderbilt, James Franklin came to Penn State with a lot of hype. He’s led them to back-to-back seven win seasons, winning one of two bowl games over his first two seasons. Under Franklin, Penn State has beaten the teams they’re suppose to and lost to teams they’re suppose to.
That recently changed, though. Franklin finally got his signature win as Penn State’s head coach and might have saved his job by beating Ohio State on national TV in primetime. The Nittany Lions are now 24th in the latest AP Poll, the first time they’ve been ranked since 2011 when Joe Paterno was still coach.
Penn State’s last five games are all winnable, giving them a chance to win 10 games this season with a bowl game win. Barring a massive breakdown from Penn State, there will be a much different script surrounding Franklin and his job this offseason than many expected just a week ago.
Plus, Franklin continues to be a solid recruiter. Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class ranks 31st in the nation with five-four star recruits. Also, you can’t forget that Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley both are Franklin’s recruits. Penn State isn’t a national powerhouse in that area, but they’ve done well under Franklin, nonetheless.
When it comes down to it, besides their win over Ohio State, Penn State under James Franklin has been on the cusp of greatness but have never been able to get over the hump. A big win over a top-five team might be the game to finally get Penn State back to where they once were. Until then, Franklin remains a good coach who doesn’t have many surprises up his sleeve.