Tag: James Franklin

James Franklin won his biggest game yet and everyone was too busy arguing about SMU to care

You have to feel for James Franklin just a little bit here.

James Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State since 2014, and pretty much since he stepped foot on campus, the knock against Franklin is that he can’t win the Big Game.

We all know the numbers. Franklin is 3-17 against the AP Top 25 and 1-12 against top-5 teams. Whether at home or on the road, favorites or underdogs, Franklin’s disappointments under the brightest lights have tainted his otherwise impressive resume. Too often those losses have led to even uglier moments.

All of which is to say absolutely no one faced more pressure on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in the first round the College Football Playoff than Penn State’s head coach. Lose to No. 11 seed SMU at home — with 100,000 fans and another iconic whiteout — and it’s fair to believe Franklin’s job status would be in question, to say nothing of the absolute roasting he’d get from college fans online.

Thankfully for Penn State, Franklin’s team went out an absolutely throttled the Mustangs, 38-10, with a near-flawless performance. This should’ve been a moment for Franklin to finally receive some flowers. But nope! College fans were far too busy continuing the nonsense debate over whether or not SMU and Indiana even deserved to be in the playoff field.

Even when James Franklin wins, he can’t win, man. It’s quite likely the second-funniest possible outcome on Saturday aside from a Penn State loss.

Think about it. The Nittany Lions held SMU to 253 yards total, stopped the Mustangs from converting all but three of 14 third downs and didn’t allow a touchdown until there were seven minutes left in the game. Even with SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings throwing three interceptions (including two pick-sixes), this was a dominant performance by Franklin’s defense, as his offense meticulously worked the clock and took care of the ball. And seemingly no one cared.

College fans are absolutely ruthless. It feels like Franklin is Squidward waiting for his applause only for SMU’s SpongeBob to steal all the attention with the mess it made.

Now Franklin and Penn State will get ready to face No. 3 seed Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and all the talk of whether or not Franklin can win the Big Game will surely bubble back up and likely ignore the fact he literally just did.

There may have been bigger matchups during his tenure, but there have never been higher stakes than what Franklin faced on Saturday. It seems he’ll have to keep waiting for most fans to notice.

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How much is Penn State coach James Franklin’s buyout in 2024?

If Penn State ever decided to fire James Franklin, it wouldn’t be cheap.

There’s a ton of money floating around college football, and head coaches make a lot with monster contracts that deliver them millions of dollars. Sometimes, college football coaches are even the highest-paid public employees in their respective states.

With their huge contracts also come very large buyouts — the money a school would owe the coach if it decided to fire him without cause. And it can sometimes be enough money to force a school to ride it out a little longer, rather than cough up several million dollars.

So how much would Penn State have to pay James Franklin if the Nittany Lions ever decided to fire their head coach?

Franklin — who has been the Nittany Lions’ head coach since 2014 — has the sixth-largest buyout among college football coaches as of 2024, according to USA TODAY Sports’ database of salaries and contracts. As of December 1, 2024, Franklin’s buyout is $56,666,667.

That’s definitely not the largest — Georgia’s Kirby Smart has the biggest buyout at $118,083,333 — but still a huge chunk of change if Penn State ever decided to fire Franklin.

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Penn State lands transfer wide receiver Kyron Hudson from USC

Penn State added a wide receiver from another Big Ten program out of the transfer portal.

Wide receiver is something that continues to be a topic brought up for Penn State not just by the fan base, but also by national pundits who routinely point out the lack of production from that position.

Because of that, this transfer cycle was seen as a huge opportunity for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff to add a difference maker who can play a huge part in how the Nittany Lions perform going forward.

They are set to host Florida International transfer Eric Rivers this week. He would give them a productive player on the outside who is adept at getting open, something Penn State’s current group has a hard time consistently doing.

But before he is set to arrive in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions already struck in the portal by earning a commitment from USC transfer [autotag]Kyron Hudson[/autotag].

The 6-foot-1 pass catcher was a four-star recruit coming out of high school when he committed to the Trojans. Ranked as the 126th-best player and 22nd overall wide receiver in the 2021 class by the 247Sports Composite, he had a productive showing during his career in Los Angeles.

Hudson has totaled 807 yards and eight touchdowns on 72 catches with USC, but it was this past year where he really broke through with 38 receptions for 462 yards and three touchdowns.

Any addition to the wide receiver room is going to be a notable one, but for Penn State to add someone who has been productive at a power conference level is huge.

There are still major questions about how that position group is going to look next year with [autotag]Harrison Wallace[/autotag] and [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] likely returning for another season along with the injured [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag], but one or even all three could decide to leave as well.

Even if all three are back, adding Hudson to the mix is huge as the Nittany Lions need more production on the perimeter going forward.

Penn State schedules visit with star defensive tackle Bear Alexander

This USC lineman would be a nice addition to the Penn State defense out of the transfer portal.

With things getting underway in the transfer portal, Penn State will certainly be viewed as a top destination for multiple players looking for new opportunities around the country, especially with them securing their place in the College Football Playoff.

The Nittany Lions haven’t been too busy trying to bring in players since [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has been the head coach, but this new calendar could change some things.

There are positions Penn State has to land in this cycle as they look to continue their ascent to annual national championship contender status.

Two they’re already targeting is wide receiver, for obvious reasons, having already scheduled a visit with Eric Rivers who is one of the top players in the portal, as well as extending an offer to defensive tackle David Blay.

Penn State is also reportedly on the radar of a high-profile player.

Per Hayes Fawcett of On3, the Nittany Lions are one of the three teams who are “standing out” to defensive lineman [autotag]Bear Alexander[/autotag] after he decided to transfer from USC following a decision to redshirt during the season.

At the time, that didn’t necessarily mean the Nittany Lions were interested in bringing him in. It only meant the player is viewing Penn State as a potential destination.

But, there has been a new development that reports, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, Penn State is going to host Alexander for a visit this upcoming weekend.

Alexander was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, ranked 50th nationally by 247Sports Composite that listed him as the ninth-best defensive lineman in the cycle.

He committed to Georgia and enrolled as a freshman, but after one season there he transferred to USC where he now is looking for a new home after two years there.

In 28 games, Alexander has compiled 61 total tackles, 10 of them coming for a loss with 3.5 being sacks.

Penn State extends offer to standout defensive tackle transfer David Blay

Penn state extends offer to one of the top defensive tackles in the transfer portal.

If history repeats itself, then Penn State won’t be that active in the transfer portal. [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] hasn’t used that newfound weapon as a way to build a roster, instead preferring the development option which has turned this program into a perennial Big Ten contender.

Things could be a bit different this time around, though.

There are clear needs the Nittany Lions will have to fill ahead of next season with the potential departures upcoming by way of graduation and the NFL draft. To remain in title contention, they’ll need to find some ready-made players who can come in and make an impact.

Franklin and [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] believe they have identified one.

According to Sean Fitz of BlueWhiteIllustrated, Penn State has extended an offer to transfer defensive tackle [autotag]David Blay[/autotag], the first scholarship they have extended in the portal to date.

Interior defenders are huge for the success of teams around the country, and if the Nittany Lions are able to land Blay, that would be a huge win for them.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder was named First-Team All-Conference USA after compiling 46 total tackles, 10.5 of them for loss, while also wracking up 6.5 sacks.

Blay is a Pennsylvania native from Levittown, but as an unrated prospect in high school, he wasn’t on the radar of many teams and enrolled at Division II program West Chester University to start his collegiate career.

Now, he is one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal with 247Sports listing him as the 17th-best prospect available and No. 2 overall at his position.

Penn State will have a battle on their hands if they want to land him, so it’s a good sign the coaching staff is making him a priority early on.

Penn State gets visit with top transfer portal wide receiver Eric Rivers

Penn State is once again looking for wide receiver help in the transfer portal.

Penn State is getting ready for their matchup against SMU in the College Football Playoff, but [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff will have to cover their bases when it comes to the transfer portal that opened on Dec. 9.

The Nittany Lions know two of their players, tight end Jerry Cross and freshman defensive lineman T.A. Cunningham, have already entered their names for consideration from other programs around the country, and even though they’re in the CFP, that doesn’t mean others won’t join them.

On the flip side, there are some positions Penn State would love to upgrade, and just about everyone knows wide receiver is at the top of their priority list.

With that in mind, fans will be delighted to hear they have scheduled a meeting with [autotag]Eric Rivers[/autotag], a Florida International transfer who is one of the top wide receivers in the portal.

Per Hayes Fawcett of On3, the visit will be from Dec. 19-20, a day before Penn State takes on SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Rivers began his career at Memphis as a defensive back, committing to them as a three-star recruit in the 2021 class. He played in five games his freshman season but missed the following year with an injury.

After that, he decided to transfer to FIU where he became a wide receiver, something that seems to be the right decision based on the performance he had this past season where he put up 1,172 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns that was fifth and fourth at the FBS level respectively.

Rivers is listed at 5-foot-11 and just over 170 pounds, so there are some questions about if his game can translate to the higher level, but there is no doubt he’s a productive player which is something the Nittany Lions desperately need on the outside.

Penn State will be battling it out with multiple others schools.

It’s been reported that at least 40 other programs have reached out to him in the portal, and in addition to Penn State, he’s scheduled visits with Miami, Nebraska and Colorado.

Penn State won’t have KJ Winston back for College Football Playoff

James Franklin confirms Penn State will be without star safety for the College Football Playoff.

Penn State head coach James Franklin was happy to see his team come out of the Big Ten championship game as healthy as possible despite coming out on the losing end of things against Orgeon. But the Nittany Lions will unfortunately still be without one of its key defensive players for the duration of the College Football Playoff as safety [autotag]KJ Winston[/autotag] was confirmed to be out with his long-term injury according to Franklin this week.

The writing was on the wall that Penn State would make the College Football Playoff this year for the first in [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]’s tenure, but when they made the Big Ten championship game, the question then became how high of a seed they could be.

While the Nittany Lions lost against Oregon, they were given a favorable path by the committee; facing SMU at home in the first round and then taking on Group of 5 team Boise State if they get past the Mustangs.

This draw might be the best out of any team in the 12-team tournament, including those who received a bye, but ultimately it will come down to what Penn State does on the field.

After the Nittany Lions defense was taken apart by Oregon in the title game, there are some concerns about how they might hold up when facing another team of that caliber.

Someone who would certainly help that unit is [autotag]KJ Winston[/autotag], Penn State’s star safety who was lost with a “long-term injury” after the Bowling Green game, which was the second contest of their season.

Unfortunately, Franklin put that notion to bed.

“We will not get KJ back for this year,” he said per Daniel Gallen of 247Sports. “Like I mentioned before, long-term injury.”

That is a huge blow to Penn State and their chances of winning the national championship this year since Winston was viewed as one of the best safeties in the country and even earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors following the opener against West Virginia when he had 12 tackles and forced a fumble.

The Nittany Lions will then have to keep running out the same secondary unit, led by [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Zakee Wheatley[/autotag] on the back end to go with their young corner group.

Staff final score predictions for the Big Ten championship game

What are we predicting for the Big Ten championship game this weekend for the Nittany Lions?

The waiting is nearly over and Penn State’s chance for a Big Ten championship is approaching. All that stands between [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag], [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], and the program’s second Big Ten title in the conference championship era is the only undefeated team in the land, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks. This is a big one, for sure!

Penn State and Oregon will meet on Saturday night in Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship as the Ducks look to polish off a 13-0 run to the Big Ten championship in its first season in the conference, while Penn State looks to clear a hurdle it has struggled to do on a number of occasions against top-tier competition. But in a year of college football like we have seen, why can’t Oregon take a loss to Penn State? It certainly would not be a shock to the world situation if Penn State were to come out on top of the Big Ten championship game. The point spread is sitting at 3.5 points in favor of Oregon and has not moved all week. So what do you think Penn State fans?

Will the Nittany Lions be celebrating this weekend on its way to the College Football Playoff? Our staff weighs in with our thoughts and final score predictions for the Big Ten championship game before the conference championship weekend gets underway.

Shayne: Penn State gets their first chance at a Big Ten Championship since 2016 this week against Oregon, the last unbeaten team in FBS. Oregon is obviously a very tough opponent for anyone, but Penn State has struggled in games like this under James Franklin. The defense will likely keep them in it for much of the game, but ultimately I think Oregon is the better team and will take home a Big Ten title in their first season in conference.

Oregon 27, Penn State 20

Charlie: I love Penn State’s defense and its offense is significantly better than it was last season. However, Penn State just has not won this magnitude of game during James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State. Franklin is 1-13 against top-five competition. For a perennial top 10 team that record won’t cut it. Penn State can buck that trend at anytime and they have the talent to beat Oregon on Saturday, even if the offense doesn’t play great. The defense could carry the team to a Big Ten title. As it was against Ohio State last month, until Penn State proves me wrong and wins a “big game” I just can’t pick them to upset the No. 1 team in the country.

Oregon 23, Penn State 16

Kevin: I did share my official prediction with our friends at Ducks Wire this week, and I will not back away from that. This is a game that will absolutely be winnable for Penn State thanks to a strong defensive effort. My only concern is whether or not the offense can take advantage of some key moments to generate some enthusiasm against a solid Oregon defense. Slow starts have been concerning for Penn State at times this season as well, and we saw the offense clam up close to the end zone against the best team on the schedule so far, Ohio State.

I do think Oregon holds the upper hand for the majority of the game, but a strong surge in the second half by Penn State gives the Nittany Lions a terrific fighting chance for a Big Ten title. Alas, I do think Oregon walks away with a close win to celebrate its first Big Ten championship and goes to the College Football Playoff as the top overall seed, while Penn State will get a chance to rebound with a home game in the first round.

Oregon 26, Penn State 23

Penn State and Oregon meet in the 2024 Big Ten championship game on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Follow us for continuing coverage as Penn State competes for a Big Ten title and enters the College Football Playoff.

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Wisconsin high school product, Badgers’ top class of 2022 target to enter transfer portal

Wisconsin high school product, Badgers’ top class of 2022 target to enter transfer portal

Former Wisconsin high school star and the Badgers’ top class of 2022 tight end target Jerry Cross will enter the transfer portal, per Rivals’ Adam Friedman.

Cross attended Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before committing to Penn State in July 2020. He chose the Nittany Lions over the Badgers, who at that time were fresh off a stellar run from 2015-19 under head coach Paul Chryst.

As a prospect, Cross was considered the No. 15 tight end and No. 5 recruit in Wisconsin for the class of 2022, per 247Sports. In three years at Rufus King, Cross logged 49 catches for 1,300 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns as a pass-catcher. He was considered a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting outlet.

His tenure at Penn State did not reflect his high school career. Cross redshirted his freshman season and tallied just seven total games from 2023-24. He did not record an offensive statistic in those appearances.

Outside of Wisconsin, Cross’ high school offer sheet included Iowa State, Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, Arizona State, Iowa and Northern Illinois.

UW’s current tight end room is headlined by sophomore Tucker Ashcraft. With redshirt senior Riley Nowakowski slated to say goodbye to Luke Fickell’s program, the Badgers are in need of some depth at the position.

Given his hometown ties to Milwaukee and former top recruiting billing, Cross could fill that void.

View from the stands as Penn State clinched a spot in Big Ten championship game

Penn State has one of the best atmosphere’s in all of college football, and I experienced it first hand in their regular season finale. Here are some reactions from Penn State vs Maryland

Penn State finished the regular season with a dominant 44-7 victory over Maryland, and I was able to witness it live. I grew up roughly two hours away from the Nittany Lions’ home in State College, but this was my first time seeing them play in person. There are plenty of observations I made while inside Beaver Stadium, but the first one that sticks out is the news about a different game happening in neighboring Ohio.

Ohio State had a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game locked up, assuming they could beat a mediocre Michigan team at home. As I was making my way to the stadium, I saw that the game was tied at halftime 10-10. After finding my seat, I heard a loud cheer in unison coming from down in the concession areas.

I checked my phone to see that Michigan had indeed taken down Ohio State, meaning Penn State just needed a win over Maryland to earn a meeting with Oregon in the Big Ten title game. The energy was incredible from all over the stadium, and it continued into the senior day presentations.

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] greeted each of his seniors as they announced their names and majors. It was a cool moment that reminds you that many of these players are students first, even at a blue blood like Penn State. The marching band and dancers were also very fun to see in person, and they were excellent even in the freezing temperatures.

The crowd was very large of course, but it was certainly not at full capacity. The announced attendance was around 104,000, but I would guess it was under 100,000 from my view. The student section was unfortunately pretty lackluster in this game, but the weather and underwhelming matchup likely had a lot to do with it.

The start of the game had some big reactions despite the smaller crowd than usual, with Penn State fumbling on the first drive and Maryland scoring on their first play of the game. The crowd was immediately on edge, especially knowing how important the game was with Ohio State’s loss. Penn State continued to have a slow start for the rest of the quarter, scoring just three points.

The second quarter, however, was electric. The crowd roared to life after [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] punched in a touchdown to take the lead, and that was just the beginning. Every third down from Maryland, the stadium would shake from the force of the crowd’s cheers. Each of Penn State’s four touchdown drives seemed to energize the crowd more and more, especially anytime record-breaking tight end [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] was involved.

The second half started a bit quieter, with neither team doing much offensively in the third quarter. Backups began getting on the field for Penn State in the fourth, and many fans started heading for the exits once it became 38-7 early in the final quarter. Things got interesting late, with Penn State throwing a touchdown on the last play of the game.

The remaining fans loved it, and James Franklin strongly defended the decision in his postgame comments. It was an overall impressive showing by the team and an incredibly fun atmosphere to watch a football game. Outside of my experience in the stadium, seeing Penn State’s top players up close was also very rewarding.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]’s arm talent jumps off the screen at home, but it’s even more impressive live. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]’s explosiveness and agility are jaw-dropping in person as well, and he put it on display with a two-sack day. Tyler Warren looks even bigger and more imposing than he does on film. Overall, this team looks the part of a College Football Playoff contender.

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