The Penn State Nittany Lions’ James Franklin is the second-longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten, but if the fans had their way, he’d likely be gone soon. No.7-ranked Penn State fell to the previously winless UCLA Bruins in a shootout, 42-35, and the fans made their feelings known.
Penn State’s Latest Collapse Against UCLA Exposes James Franklin’s Flaws
Not only did the Nittany Lions lose to a winless opponent, but they also allowed 42 points to an offense that ranked dead last in points per game entering the contest (14.8). In fact, UCLA had been so bad that they fired their head coach, parted ways with both coordinators, and had led for a whopping zero minutes and zero seconds all year.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) October 4, 2025
Sure, Franklin and Co. made a second-half comeback after being down 27-7 at the break, but that was just putting lipstick on a pig. Iamaleava completed just 3 of 6 passes for 9 yards after halftime but used his legs to hot-seat cooking effect, finishing with 16 carries, 128 yards, and three touchdowns.
Penn State fans didn’t mince words during and after the game, with one stating, “My support for James Franklin is at a all time low, this is embarrassing, fire him Penn State.”
Yet, one fan called for more than just Franklin’s job for the jaw-dropping loss:
A successful rest of the Penn State football season looks like this:
Firing James Franklin.
Firing Jim Knowles.
Firing Andy Kotelnicki.
Firing Marques Hagans.
Firing Danny O’Brien.
Tapping Anthony Poindexter as interim head coach.
Starting Ethan Grunkemeyer.
— ap (@androopee) October 4, 2025
But wait, there’s more!
Another Penn State believer posted on X, “James Franklin has to go,” while one more said, “James Franklin seat’s so hot that I could melt steel with it.”
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This wasn’t an overreaction to a single upset, either. Franklin has gained a reputation for falling short in big moments, with the Nittany Lions being 15-29 against AP Top 25 teams with him at the helm.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Franklin’s buyout is estimated to be around $56 million, according to 247Sports.
Franklin’s seat might be scorching hot, but unless someone wants to write a check for over $50 million, he’ll be right back on the sideline next year, asking fans to trust the process while the program continues to fall short of its lofty expectations.
