Everybody seems to have an opinion on James Franklin that falls into one of two categories; he is either overrated or underappreciated. Every time a coaching ranking comes up, Franklin’s spot on the list will be scrutinized but often comes with the same critical analysis. Franklin is a solid recruiter who has improved the way Penn State recruits on a regular basis since taking over the program, but just one Big Ten championship game appearance and an abysmal record against Ohio State, and more losses than wins against Michigan is an easy counter-argument to make.
Leading up to the 2023 season, the annual updates to coaching rankings continue to be released, and we have seen where Franklin ranks among his peers by some, including CBS Sports. Our friend Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire offered his take on the ranking of Power Five head coaches entering the 2023 season. And according to Conn, Penn State has a top 10 coach in the nation.
A quick glance at the top 10 ranking will reveal a pretty similar trend for the coaches ranked above Franklin; all but one coach above Franklin have coached a team to the College Football Playoff. The only other coach in the top 10 according to Conn without a College Football Playoff appearance is Kyle Whittingham of Utah, whom Franklin topped in a head-to-head Rose Bowl last January. In fact, Franklin and Whittingham are the only two coaches in the top 10 without a playoff appearance to their name.
Brian Kelly is among the coaches ranked ahead of Franklin and while he has not coached LSU to the playoff (yet), he did guide Notre Dame to a playoff appearance and previously took Notre Dame to the BCS national championship game before that.
Here is what Conn had to say about James Franklin in his coach ranking.
After going .500 (11-11) in the last two seasons, Penn State and James Franklin earned a New Years Six bowl bid with a 10-win regular season. The Nittany Lions returned to the championship conversation last season and now turn to five-star quarterback Drew Allar. Any coach that can lead Vanderbilt to 24 wins in three seasons definitely deserves top 10 consideration.
Franklin is the third highest-ranked Big Ten coach on the list behind Jim Harbaugh and Ryan Day of Michigan and Ohio State, respectively. One other Big Ten coach makes the top 10 with Luke Fickell rounding out the top 10 just behind Franklin. Fickell is in his first season as head coach of Wisconsin after previously guiding Cincinnati to the playoff two seasons ago.
Check out the full ranking from College Sports Wire to see what coaches are considered the best of the best in the Power 5.
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