Unhappy Valley? Why Penn State football fans are questioning Coach James Franklin

One might think Penn State football coach James Franklin is sitting pretty.

After all, Franklin has his Nittany Lions ranked 7th in the Big Ten Conference and 8th in the nation and coming off wins against West Virginia and Bowling Green to open the 2024 season 2-0.

So why do some sports pundits believe Franklin is on the hot seat?

Is James Franklin on the hot seat?

Just before the season began, Happy Valley Insider noted that Franklin may be on the seat, especially if the Nittanly Lions do not make the College Football Playoffs.

Sep 7, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field during a warm up prior to the game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

“PSU has never made the college football playoffs. This year we have quite a few 4/5 star players from the 6th ranked 2022 class who are likely in their last year (Carter, Sutton, Allar, Singleton, Allen),” read a post on Happy Valley Insider. “Two 1/2 years ago Franklin was given a huge 10 year contract. Now the administration has committed $700 million to upgrade Beaver Stadium and tens of millions more to upgrade other facilities.

“It will very difficult for the administration to sit still if PSU misses the playoffs this year given that next year is likely a rebuilding year and this year’s in state recruiting has suffered.”

The Nittany Lions’e effort against Bowling Green, a team from the unheralded Mid-American Conference, may have turned up the temperature on Franklin, according to Athlon Sports.

Fans and observers piled on as the Nittany Lions trailed Bowling Green at the half before the lions eventually pulled away.

Sports news outlet Fansided notes that Franklin started the season on the hot seat, but it may have cooled just a touch recently,…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/unhappy-valley-why-penn-state-180141290.html

Author : Beaver County Times

Publish date : 2024-09-11 18:01:41

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