Football Penn State set to open 2022 season unranked in Coaches Poll

[Agoodnap]

When his obvious mistakes are met with 100000 fans booing he will be highly motivated to make a change. Do his kids go to school or have friends that are fans? Does his wife socialize with PSU people? How long would he subject them to a hostile environment? LOTS of things can cause his quality of life to decline that are not written into any contract.

There becomes a point where the money just isn't worth it anymore.

I'd start by putting the entire football staff, including CJF, in a "bull" pen environment. Put a time clock on the door and slash any budget that isn't specifically allocated per the contract. I would extend the ncaa maximum practice time per week requirement to include ALL football related activities including film study, weight training, etc. We want our FB players to be students first, don't we?

If that weren't enough I'd start to get really creative.

Last year when he didn't shut down the "JF is leaving for USC" rumors was the absolute last straw for me. I want him out of here by any means.

 

[Cowbell Man]

I'd start by putting the entire football staff, including CJF, in a "bull" pen environment. Put a time clock on the door and slash any budget that isn't specifically allocated per the contract. I would extend the ncaa maximum practice time per week requirement to include ALL football related activities including film study, weight training, etc. We want our FB players to be students first, don't we?

If that weren't enough I'd start to get really creative.

Last year when he didn't shut down the "JF is leaving for USC" rumors was the absolute last straw for me. I want him out of here by any means.

Still not reality. There is zero chance anyone would lay that kind of capital on the floor. Even end of year 9 he would negotiate the remaining $8m.

Regardless of anyone’s preference (and there are lots of supporters and detractors), he is the coach until he decides he’s not….and still pockets $80m.

 

[crm114psu]

Still not reality. There is zero chance anyone would lay that kind of capital on the floor. Even end of year 9 he would negotiate the remaining $8m.

Regardless of anyone’s preference (and there are lots of supporters and detractors), he is the coach until he decides he’s not….and still pockets $80m.

Doesn't cost a penny to be vocal and if things turn against him he be would gone. I'm confident he will not be here another 10 years unless he wins the natty this year or next. I give him 3 to 5 max. Jimmy can't exist without approval, take it away and he's gone.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Doesn't cost a penny to be vocal and if things turn against him he be would gone. I'm confident he will not be here another 10 years unless he wins the natty this year or next. I give him 3 to 5 max. Jimmy can't exist without approval, take it away and he's gone.

3 to 5 max will be by someone else wanting him, and that would mean he’s winning. He will not walk without all of the $80 mil no matter how badly you think could happen, and he’s entitled to all of it. PSU can buy their way out but it will cost all of the $80 mil. The contract speaks and it says CJF holds all 52 cards and those 2 jokers that come in a new deck.

 

[Agoodnap]

Still not reality. There is zero chance anyone would lay that kind of capital on the floor. Even end of year 9 he would negotiate the remaining $8m.

Regardless of anyone’s preference (and there are lots of supporters and detractors), he is the coach until he decides he’s not….and still pockets $80m.

The man is an egomaniac. Remove every power that isn't explicitly stated in the contract and watch him explode. Pass a new rule that NO children under the age of 17 are allowed in any of the football facilities. (You have to admit that no one would argue with that one of the surface). I'd pay to see his reaction to his daughters being turned away at the door.

I could go on all day with ideas that would have him seeking employment elsewhere.

 

[crm114psu]

The man is an egomaniac. Remove every power that isn't explicitly stated in the contract and watch him explode. Pass a new rule that NO children under the age of 17 are allowed in any of the football facilities. (You have to admit that no one would argue with that one of the surface). I'd pay to see his reaction to his daughters being turned away at the door.

I could go on all day with ideas that would have him seeking employment elsewhere.

Absolutely. There are an infinite number of ways that all those little things would mean no more fun for Jimmah. None of which are in violation of the contract. And when all those disgruntled fans put in their fair share he would find life in SC unbearable.

 

[AWS1022]

The strategy needs to be to get him to quit.

Or hope he has a good season and turns things around….I know, what a horrible thing for “fans” to do.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

lol dear lord some of you are certifiable

 

[AWS1022]

I'd start by putting the entire football staff, including CJF, in a "bull" pen environment. Put a time clock on the door and slash any budget that isn't specifically allocated per the contract. I would extend the ncaa maximum practice time per week requirement to include ALL football related activities including film study, weight training, etc. We want our FB players to be students first, don't we?

If that weren't enough I'd start to get really creative.

Last year when he didn't shut down the "JF is leaving for USC" rumors was the absolute last straw for me. I want him out of here by any means.

Worst. Fans. Ever.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Or hope he has a good season and turns things around….I know, what a horrible thing for “fans” to do.

I’m all in on getting it going in the championship direction.

right away. Literally.

 

[Delcolion915]

James Franklin stinks as a coach it’s time for you people to see this

This.

 

[Delcolion915]

Strategy? Trending? The first snap of the season under the new contract hasn't even occurred and their is a strategy to make JF miserable?

Some of yall should just start cheering for a different team. Your sense of how great this program ever was is vastly skewed. Buy a Buckeye jersey or go worship Saban.

We cheer for a team.
You cheer for a coach.

 

[Delcolion915]

I'd start by putting the entire football staff, including CJF, in a "bull" pen environment. Put a time clock on the door and slash any budget that isn't specifically allocated per the contract. I would extend the ncaa maximum practice time per week requirement to include ALL football related activities including film study, weight training, etc. We want our FB players to be students first, don't we?

If that weren't enough I'd start to get really creative.

Last year when he didn't shut down the "JF is leaving for USC" rumors was the absolute last straw for me. I want him out of here by any means.

Damn straight.

 

[AWS1022]

We cheer for a team.
You cheer for a coach.

The coach is a pretty important part of the team. If you really want the team to do well, then you should obviously want the coach to do well….but that might call into question your coaching brilliance.

 

[lazydave841]

We cheer for a team.
You cheer for a coach.

I cheer for Penn State bud.

You have openly cheered for Purdue.

 

[AWS1022]

I cheer for Penn State bud.

You have openly cheered for Purdue.

He would rather Penn State lose than be proven wrong.

 

[Delcolion915]

He would rather Penn State lose than be proven wrong.

I don't have to prove anything, that's Franklin. 11-11. Don't get it twisted

 

[ryoder1]

Another 3 years of .500 ball and things will get interesting on what to do with Franklin's contract. Can't imagine the new AD takes no action at that point. If he indeed does do nothing then yeah, probably gotta go find a new team.

 

[AWS1022]

Another 3 years of .500 ball and things will get interesting on what to do with Franklin's contract. Can't imagine the new AD takes no action at that point. If he indeed does do nothing then yeah, probably gotta go find a new team.

Might as well not even play the games for the next three years since the board experts already have the results figured out. Oh well, I’m sure the next coach will live up to expectations (not likely).

 

[AWS1022]

I don't have to prove anything, that's Franklin. 11-11. Don't get it twisted

If Franklin starts winning big, you look like an idiot, so you would rather have Penn State lose. It’s pretty obvious.

 

[ryoder1]

Might as well not even play the games for the next three years since the board experts already have the results figured out. Oh well, I’m sure the next coach will live up to expectations (not likely).

Not predicting that result and btw hope to God it doesn't happen but if it becomes a reality we have a serious issue with a coach owed $50 million who is .500 for 5 straight seasons.

 

[crm114psu]

Not predicting that result and btw hope to God it doesn't happen but if it becomes a reality we have a serious issue with a coach owed $50 million who is .500 for 5 straight seasons.

Nah, not an issue. We'll just appoint him head coach for life. That always works out well, right?

 

[indynittany]

We cheer for a team.
You cheer for a coach.

These are not mutually exclusive. One can have issues with CJF and still want him to succeed. He does many things very well, IMO, but there are important areas in which I also think he needs to improve. If he loses the team, he'll lose my support.

 

[olelion]

This team is mediocre until proven otherwise

 

[knickslions]

If Franklin starts winning big, you look like an idiot, so you would rather have Penn State lose. It’s pretty obvious.

Winning or losing won’t change if he looks like an idiot. He’s already mastered that.

 

[heckmans]

Agreed.

I don't think SC is a star. But he can be a Trace-type field general. Trace had #26 for most of his career. In his senior year, he had several receivers that are now in the NFL but we still underperformed. Back to SC, he was clearly injured against Iowa and never the same. CJF was simply too stubborn to replace him or we didn't even have a warm body to execute the offense available at that position.

But back to your point, a healthy SC with a complimentary running game would make us competitive in all games. The issue, to me, isn't SC but can we establish and sustain a running game?

To me, this is the most glaring deficiency of JF's coaching, outside of game management. It is obvious that PSU didn't have a warm body to execute. Kinnick is a tough place to play for sure, especially for a newbie, but Roberson was completely unprepared. Based on how quickly he was jettisoned from PSU, tells you that the staff deemed him ill-equipped and based on him being #2, that they didn't know before Iowa.
With some practice reps, Villeaux seemed like a "warm body to execute the offense," against Rutgres but clearly not ready to succeed in the B1G.
To me, this was/is the most glaring deficiency of JF behind in-game coaching. QBs get injured regularly and SC likes to run and he is not very big. How PSU manages to get to game 6 and have no idea of how the #2 QB in his 3rd year in the program, might perform, is inexcusable.
Levis leaving was certainly a big hit to QB depth, (I suspect Levis would have won Iowa, and been the starter for the rest of the year had he stayed), but how Roberson didn't get any reps to evaluate him, and give him some experience against, Ball St, Villanova, or Indiana is derelict, IMHO.

 

[Obliviax]

To me, this is the most glaring deficiency of JF's coaching, outside of game management. It is obvious that PSU didn't have a warm body to execute. Kinnick is a tough place to play for sure, especially for a newbie, but Roberson was completely unprepared. Based on how quickly he was jettisoned from PSU, tells you that the staff deemed him ill-equipped and based on him being #2, that they didn't know before Iowa.
With some practice reps, Villeaux seemed like a "warm body to execute the offense," against Rutgres but clearly not ready to succeed in the B1G.
To me, this was/is the most glaring deficiency of JF behind in-game coaching. QBs get injured regularly and SC likes to run and he is not very big. How PSU manages to get to game 6 and have no idea of how the #2 QB in his 3rd year in the program, might perform, is inexcusable.
Levis leaving was certainly a big hit to QB depth, (I suspect Levis would have won Iowa, and been the starter for the rest of the year had he stayed), but how Roberson didn't get any reps to evaluate him, and give him some experience against, Ball St, Villanova, or Indiana is derelict, IMHO.

Agreed. CJF should have been better at grooming a second-team QB in the five games leading to Iowa. He couldn't get anyone in against Wiscy or Auburn but should have done more versus Villanova, Ball State, and Indiana. I continue to wonder if CV was in the dog house/hurt and was not available for Iowa.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Agreed. CJF should have been better at grooming a second-team QB in the five games leading to Iowa. He couldn't get anyone in against Wiscy or Auburn but should have done more versus Villanova, Ball State, and Indiana. I continue to wonder if CV was in the dog house/hurt and was not available for Iowa.

Iowa aside. 2 weeks of prep and play for CV, we beat Illinois and the wheels don’t come off the wagon.

 

[PSU20]

Remember 2007 when they had us #25 at the start and Wisky was around #12. We whipped them 38-7. The following year was the same thing when we had 22 starters returning. We went up to Camp Randle and whipped them 48-7. So much for pre-season polls.

Get off to a good start against Purdue and then use those TE's against Auburn again, and we will be fine. We somehow lost out on our TE's after a great performance against Auburn las year.

 

[RickinDayton]

lol dear lord some of you are certifiable

Agree. These are spiteful sentiments by some of these posters.

 

[Wallace Breen]

3 to 5 max will be by someone else wanting him, and that would mean he’s winning. He will not walk without all of the $80 mil no matter how badly you think could happen, and he’s entitled to all of it. PSU can buy their way out but it will cost all of the $80 mil. The contract speaks and it says CJF holds all 52 cards and those 2 jokers that come in a new deck.

This is partly true. Franklin holds most of the cards, not all. The administration can make his life miserable to the point where he leaves on his own or does something very stupid and can be terminated for cause, and at that point, the contract is worthless. Either way, WE ARE BETTER!!!

Sadly, those are the most realistic options for moving forward as a program, and both take years to accomplish. More likely, we'll end up winning 7 or 8 games a year for the next seven or eight seasons while the administration waits for the buyout to drop low enough to make firing him worthwhile.

 

[PSUEngineer89]

I think the spite comes because the Franklin supporters are so intransigent.

There is a certain degree of excusing and denial that just becomes unbearable.

 

[Wallace Breen]

Not predicting that result and btw hope to God it doesn't happen but if it becomes a reality we have a serious issue with a coach owed $50 million who is .500 for 5 straight seasons.

Franklin is not a bad head coach. He is however, not a good one. We will not sink to consistently .500 seasons. 7 and 5 or 8 and 4? We have enough lesser teams to win 7 or 8 a year.That is the most likely option given his career average (minus 2020) is 8 and 4 and he has precisely two wins over teams with more talent in 132 regular season games, very few wins against ranked teams or teams with winning conference records. His best move would be to get rid of his coordinators, bring in two coaches that can install systems compatible with the talent on and while adapting to the massive losses at the hand of the portal.

 

[marshall23]

The coach is a pretty important part of the team. If you really want the team to do well, then you should obviously want the coach to do well….but that might call into question your coaching brilliance.

Smartest kid on the short bus.

 

[marshall23]

Agreed. CJF should have been better at grooming a second-team QB in the five games leading to Iowa. He couldn't get anyone in against Wiscy or Auburn but should have done more versus Villanova, Ball State, and Indiana. I continue to wonder if CV was in the dog house/hurt and was not available for Iowa.

Most who really follow the program know why he wasn't #2 at that point......but couch coaches never get confused with the facts.

 

[marshall23]

We cheer for a team.
You cheer for a coach.

who is "we" you, Wally and The Beaver?

 

[MacNit07]

The O-Line is key.
The O-Line is key to winning at least 9. However, if we go 9-3 losing to say, O$U, scUM and Sparty with a trip to some nothing middling bowl are we to be satisfied? That would mean we beat Purdue and Auburn on the road for our two biggest wins and I guess a bowl win against some other 3-4 loss team. It also means we finish 4th out 7 teams in the B10 East. Nothing really to celebrate there.

We finish with 10 wins (counting a bowl win) but are no where close to even a top 10 team much less a playoff team. Franklin of course stays on and who knows if his seat is even remotely hot.

Then we go into '23 with Allar at QB and do we have the same three loss expectations? Two losses? At some point we need to improve from 9-3 or even 10-2 regular seasons. Can Franklin do that? The $80 million question. Will this new AD do something that Sandy had no clue on what to do which is fire him for poor on field results?

Excellent observations. I honestly do not see how we can realistically break out of these 7-6 type seasons….the generational talent that Saquon provided us is gone and we seem firmly settled into a pattern of mediocrity. Would love to be wrong.

 

[Delcolion915]

who is "we" you, Wally and The Beaver?

Everyone on this board other than you, clown.

 

[marshall23]

Everyone on this board other than you, clown.

10 more years....."we"

 

[crm114psu]

This is partly true. Franklin holds most of the cards, not all. The administration can make his life miserable to the point where he leaves on his own or does something very stupid and can be terminated for cause, and at that point, the contract is worthless. Either way, WE ARE BETTER!!!

Sadly, those are the most realistic options for moving forward as a program, and both take years to accomplish. More likely, we'll end up winning 7 or 8 games a year for the next seven or eight seasons while the administration waits for the buyout to drop low enough to make firing him worthwhile.

How much do you think the buyout would need to drop for the BoT to find it worthwhile?

Those people are real timid when it comes to spending money, right?

How fast could they raise the sum if they agreed to trade renaming Beaver Stadium to Paterno Stadium for boosters to supply the buyout?