The 2025 campaign is billed as Penn State’s year to break through under James Franklin. The Nittany Lions looked ready for a national championship push.
Instead, two straight Big Ten losses, capped by a shocking 42-37 defeat to a struggling UCLA team, have reignited questions about Franklin’s future in Happy Valley.
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, calling the loss one of the worst performances he has ever seen.
“My favorite joke around the weekend was now you can’t add another digit to his win-loss record against Top 10 teams,” Finebaum said. “Because this one didn’t count. The bottom line is, I think he should be fired. That was one of the most embarrassing performances I have ever seen in my life.”
Also read: 'We Knew It Was Coming': James Franklin explains the 4th-down call after 42-37 UCLA upset
Finebaum questions Franklin’s future after stunning UCLA loss
Coming off a home loss in the White Out, Penn State’s trip to Los Angeles spiraled quickly. UCLA, which had already dismissed its head coach, jumped ahead early, recovered an onside kick, and never looked back.
Finebaum compared the collapse to some of college football’s most stunning upsets, saying,
“It’s not the biggest upset in college football history... but in some ways, this was equal to that. To go out and lose that game is inexcusable.”
Franklin, who has been at Penn State since 2014, owns a 104-44 record and has rebuilt the program into a consistent Big Ten contender.
Still, Finebaum argued that the results have plateaued.
“I’ve said repeatedly that he’s a good football coach. He’s just not a top-tier elite coach,” he said, adding that it might be “a good time for a change.”
Parting ways would be difficult financially. According to 247Sports, Franklin’s 10-year, $85 million extension signed in 2021 keeps him under contract through 2031, with an estimated $56 million buyout.
Finebaum noted that Penn State should consider helping him “find another job” rather than outright firing him, though he admitted few Power Four programs would take him after the UCLA loss.
Despite consistent top-15 finishes and bowl appearances, the recent setbacks have created tension between Franklin and the program’s supporters. With the buyout figure looming large, Penn State faces a costly decision about its future.