Who is the next "Larry Johnson type?" BTW, LJ is the highest paid DL coach in the country making over $1M a year. Does PSU have the budget for a position coach to make that much? Historically we haven't.
Let's get real about Franklin
- Thread starter Jerry
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James Franklin just coached another team to a 4th quarter collapse against a top 10 opponent. It is who he is.
A winner has his team add to the lead it already had with 8 minutes left in the game at home and actually win a damn game based on scheme when he has lesser talent. Not blow it yet again like he has at least greater than 10 times now.
This guy's coaching creates mentally weak or soft teams who simply cannot play 4 quarters of consistent football or who cannot overcome adversity. His teams crumble like cardboard in a rain storm regardless of the players, opponent, or location. The dude just doesn't have "it" and never will. The verdict is in. How many more years are needed?
A winner has his team add to the lead it already had with 8 minutes left in the game at home and actually win a damn game based on scheme when he has lesser talent. Not blow it yet again like he has at least greater than 10 times now.
This guy's coaching creates mentally weak or soft teams who simply cannot play 4 quarters of consistent football or who cannot overcome adversity. His teams crumble like cardboard in a rain storm regardless of the players, opponent, or location. The dude just doesn't have "it" and never will. The verdict is in. How many more years are needed?
It is looking that way but he ain't going anywhere and we got him. Yhe question I have is Why? Why do we crumble under pressure in big games against top 10 teams? How do you instill a winning culture?
You do know the players change, graduate, etc., right? So it's not like his OL and DL players are in their ninth-year of eligibility.
The bigger question is why are the results the same regardless of the players or assistant coaches/coordinators over a number of years? What is the common denominator?
It is like when you were in grade school and the same kid keeps showing up in the principal's office under a different circumstance or fight, "But Mr. Smith, it really wasn't my fault this time!"
Did they crumble in the 4Q against:
2016 OSU
2016 Wisconsin
2017 Iowa
2018 Iowa
2019 Iowa
2019 Michigan
2021 Wisconsin
2021 Auburn
2022 Purdue
No coach (none, zero) wins every close game in the 4Q especially when they are the underdog.
Expecting your coach to do so is not only unrealistic, but quite frankly suggests an ignorance of the sport.
What if that thing is a coach who can actually coach football? What then?
Depends on that most critical factor, is he a good ambassador? That is what counts the most.
That wasn't what you said, but keep moving the goalposts.
"This guy's coaching creates mentally weak or soft teams who simply cannot play 4 quarters"
I'm not moving any goalposts. The first paragraph of my original statement, to which you responded, is, as follows:
"James Franklin just coached another team to a 4th quarter collapse against a top 10 opponent. It is who he is."
You quote my last thought which was stated in the context of my opening comment.
His teams collapse in games that matter. He isn't getting paid millions to hold onto 4th quarter leads against Rutgers. He is getting paid to beat the OSUs, scUMs, USCs, etc. of the world and he fails in the same fashion over and over and over and over.
Holding onto a lead against a team you out-talent 3 to 1 isn't mentally tough. Holding onto a lead this Saturday requires mental fortitude. Every time Franklin's teams are in this scenario they poop their pants.
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Here's the problem. He basically never pulls out a win against a top 10 team when an underdog or even as a favorite. O$U in '16 and what else? I will give you that it is very difficult to do so and clearly not expecting him to win all of them as an underdog or even half but maybe a third or a quarter of them? His teams' performance record is unusually poor in these games and below what you would expect a reasonable performance metric to be.
He has had some near big wins of late like Iowa in '17, '18 and '19, Wisky in '21 and Purdue this year.
He is paid to win games. He wins a lot of games. Full stop.
Team, rank when played, final rank, record
(NR- not ranked)
2016 OSU - #2, #6, 11-2
2016 Wisky- #6, #9, 11-3
2017 Iowa- NR, NR, 8-5
2018 Iowa- NR, #25/NR, 9-4
2019 Iowa- #17/18, #15, 10-3
2019 Michigan- #16, #18/19, 9-4
2021 Wisky- #18/17, NR, 9-4
2021 Auburn- #23, NR, 6-7
2022 Purdue- NR, currently 5-3
So, only 2 top 10 teams- both 6 years ago.
Considering 2017 Iowa, 2021 Wisky, 2021 Auburn were not ranked at the end of the year and 2018 Iowa was only #25 in 1 poll and not ranked in the other, I’d hardly put them up in the annals of big wins.
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I actually think he could be on a semi hot seat next year. There will be a lot of really good young players returning. Expectations will be high.
Honest question. It is pretty obvious that JF is a marginal game day coach, especially against his comp. I could only assume that you meant an assistant.
They were games decided in the fourth quarter. The assertion was that Franklin's teams NEVER play a full 4Q. Clearly wrong.
Expectations will be high by many, especially in August. However, the minute they lose to Ohio St and Michigan many of those same posters will start the “no one really expected us to win this year” mantra that gets repeated year after year after year…..
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It is not obvious at all. CJF is a great all around coach.
Ranking college football’s 12 smartest coaching hires of the past dozen years
From Dave Clawson to Lance Leipold and James Franklin to Luke Fickell, these coaching hires have been wildly successful.
theathletic.com
Thanks, that's good information.
In fairness, it's hard to beat a top-10 team...especially a team whose final rank is in the top-10.
The link below shows the historical record in that regard, and Oklahoma is on top with only a 40% win ratio against that level of competition while Alabama and Ohio State are at a paltry 30%. (Penn State ranks 20th all-time at 18%.)
If you change the criteria to wins against top-10 teams as they were ranked at the time of the game, Paterno scores 43%. See second link.
This makes Franklin's 2016 record all the more impressive. After that, however, it gets pretty grim. In fact, I'm not sure we've ever fully recovered from those two heartbreakers to Ohio State in 2017 and 2018, losing by one point in both games after holding 4th-quarter leads. Those were defining games.
But all that is water over the dam. These next four games could be defining too in a way. We need to win them and go from there.
Never said I did. You act as though you are very familiar with it.
You haven't read his contract yet you make definitive statements about details concerning how it ties compensation to performance.
"paid to win games" is the phrase I believe you used.
Perhaps you might be right, no doubt some would agree.
That does not change the fact that you are wrong once again. And as you tell us, you always admit when you are wrong and apologize, even though it is extremely rare according to you. We've seen you make such errors on a regular basis yet I cannot find one instance of you saying "I was wrong" or anything remotely similar.
Please point out that "paid to win games" clause in his contract. You did say that he was "paid to win games", right? That really isn't true is it?
Are you really going to parse that post? It was clear in full context.
In your brilliant smarter than everybody else mind, you were correct. But everyone not as smart as you understood the context of his post.
That was not my assertion. My assertion was his teams shit the bed against top 10 opponents in 4th when it matters.
He does everything great - recruiting, politicking, relationship building - except actual football coaching. This is an observable fact. JFs record against teams with similar talent is pretty bad. As a football coach, JF is Steve Spurrier. Wins a lot of games on talent, and might get over the hump one year, but will lose the big game against similar talent every year.It is not obvious at all. CJF is a great all around coach.
Ranking college football’s 12 smartest coaching hires of the past dozen years
From Dave Clawson to Lance Leipold and James Franklin to Luke Fickell, these coaching hires have been wildly successful.
I don't know, I'm not getting paid 8 million dollars per year to go find one. I'm sure there is one out there and it wouldn't cost 1 million. Maybe an ex Penn State lineman. Maybe LaVar
I can live with 10-2 this year with a New Years 6 Bowl win if that happens. (Still possible losses vs Maryland and/or MSU IMO ) (My expectations after last year for this year were much lower)Expectations will be high by many, especially in August. However, the minute they lose to Ohio St and Michigan many of those same posters will start the “no one really expected us to win this year” mantra that gets repeated year after year after year…..
If 10-2 and a bowl win does happen, expectations will be much higher for next year, including wins over Michigan and Ohio State, (especially with a 5 star QB)
The question will be if that does not happen, are the powers at be happy with coming in third every year or so?
I suspect Franklin's real threat will eventually be former PSU players, not necessarily his former players, who believe that PSU should win championships and be competitive at the playoff level.
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