SO THIS IS WHAT THE END LOOKS LIKE

[Marshall2323]

Growing up in Pa. in the late 50's and 60's it seemed natural to be a Penn State Football fan. Got to attend my first game in November 1966. That's when the love affair started to reach full bloom. Later, as a young high school coach, I followed Joe and emulated a great deal of his philosophy. Like virtually everyone else, I knew he was special and to me anyway, he made it seem that he made everything PSU a cut above. When they assassinated him.....I blamed it on a conspiracy of a small group of Trustees and government officials who had sinister agendas. It took a period of time, but James Franklin brought me back to believing Penn State was really the special place that I cherished in my youth.
Fanatics are in every sport and fanbase. PSU had some and it was fun watching them poke at Franklin and cry, "we deserve better."
What has transpired the past 3 weeks......turning on Franklin immediately after the Oregon game.....and gutting the work that has been done since 2014, defies explanation or justification.
You have successfully gotten rid of James Franklin.
Enjoy the season !
Congratulations! While all the jaekels and ghouls cried about Franklin not "winning the big one...." LOL he just won 50 million dollars.
You have also lost your entire recruiting class. The opt outs and portal entries start this morning.
Even Humpty Dumpty couldn't put this back together again. Let's see how long it will be before Penn State can win 10 meaningless games in one season again.

We Are......just like Auburn.....Nebraska....and the rest.

 

[cjrugger]

Ok take care

 

[Tgar]

Nice post. From a fan perspective, two thoughts…….

First, your use of the word “ meaningless” is well positioned and can be taken differently by different readers.

Second, Penn State has entered the era of “ Speed Dating” coaches Ala the SEC and the NFL. Win and win now or be gone.

This will be fun for some and painful for others. In the end, it’s filling those 6,000 luxury boxes (and more to be built) that matters the most.

 

[Marshall2323]

Nice post. From a fan perspective, two thoughts…….

First, your use of the word “ meaningless” is well positioned and can be taken differently by different readers.

Second, Penn State has entered the era of “ Speed Dating” coaches Ala the SEC and the NFL. Win and win now or be gone.

This will be fun for some and painful for others. In the end, it’s filling those 6,000 luxury boxes (and more to be built) that matters the most.

Nice post. From a fan perspective, two thoughts…….

First, your use of the word “ meaningless” is well positioned and can be taken differently by different readers.

Second, Penn State has entered the era of “ Speed Dating” coaches Ala the SEC and the NFL. Win and win now or be gone.

This will be fun for some and painful for others. In the end, it’s filling those 6,000 luxury boxes (and more to be built) that matters the most.

Couldn't agree more. It's professional football. Reality is upon us. Tradition or even a sense of values (other than money) can no longer be invoked. Next years roster will be comprised of mercenaries purchased from the portal. Go State!
We drove a coach out of town that more often than not won 9,10.11 games. Why? Because he didn't beat Ohio State. Count me among those who are waiting to see the savior who will win 10 and 11 and beat Ohio State. I'm 76, Is it next season? LOLLOLLOLLOL

 

[CDLionFL]

The era is different. When it was just 2 and 4 teams to make the championship round, 10 wins and a NY6 bowl trip is a great season and maybe you get a break or two to get into that next stage. Now with 12 teams and possibly more in the future, it’s playoffs or bust. Add in the financial aspect between players getting paid and coaches getting stupid amounts of cash, it’s a pro game now. Also, how much more evidence do you need that this guy is not getting you over the hump? It’s about winning championships and being in contention for championships now and with the amount of money being shelled out, you have to meet those standards.

 

[Marshall2323]

The era is different. When it was just 2 and 4 teams to make the championship round, 10 wins and a NY6 bowl trip is a great season and maybe you get a break or two to get into that next stage. Now with 12 teams and possibly more in the future, it’s playoffs or bust. Add in the financial aspect between players getting paid and coaches getting stupid amounts of cash, it’s a pro game now. Also, how much more evidence do you need that this guy is not getting you over the hump? It’s about winning championships and being in contention for championships now and with the amount of money being shelled out, you have to meet those standards.

If the hump is the national championship.....LOL
If the hump is getting in the playoffs, he got over the hump last year.
The real issue is that PSU over its entire history has proven to be a 7-12 program.
Wanting it to be a top 5 is wonderful. It isn't.

 

[mfb5053]

There’s a fine line between stability and stagnation. I feel bad for CJF. However, he pushed all his chips in the middle this year, and he overplayed his hand.

 

[mh-larch]

The end? No I don't think so, not even close for PSU football and the program's fans.

I support and cheer for PSU no matter their record. I was a huge and loyal supporter of Coach Franklin. I think he's a good man and I'm grateful for he did for Penn State. But it didn't take a genius to see something was wrong. It was more than the losses. He seemed to check out and seemed lost, no answers. This season he reminded me of his demeanor in the COVID season. Not acceptable.

 

[Marshall2323]

There’s a fine line between stability and stagnation. I feel bad for CJF, but he pushed all his chips in the middle this year, and he overplayed his hand.

I don't feel bad for James. He gets a 50 million dollar parting gift. As a former PSU Football Fan of 60 years, I feel bad for the PSU Football Program. I'm embarrased for the PSU community and its lack of civility. Admittedly, its on me for being naive and thinking PSU was different than all the other sleazy programs. Again, they humiliated Franklin and forced Kraft to act. Only time will tell, was it worth it? I seriously doubt it. The ball is now rolling down hill. Welcome to Nebraska.

 

[Marshall2323]

The end? No I don't think so, not even close for PSU football and the program's fans.

I support and cheer for PSU no matter their record. I was a huge and loyal supporter of Coach Franklin. I think he's a good man and I'm grateful for he did for Penn State. But it didn't take a genius to see something was wrong. It was more than the losses. He seemed to check out and seemed lost, no answers. This season he reminded me of his demeanor in the COVID season. Not acceptable.

I think being jeered off the field after a double overtime loss can take the starch out of a team and its coaching staff.
My issue isn't searching for a new coach and direction. That sort of thing is routine. My outrage is centered around the entitled fans that treated Franklin like he was trash. 1 year after making the final four. My contention is that without the stadium outrage, he would have finished the season and there could have been an orderly and dignified transition, if needed. Anyone who can't see that this is a stain on PSU athletics, isn't paying attenion.

 

[m.knox]

There’s a fine line between stability and stagnation. I feel bad for CJF. However, he pushed all his chips in the middle this year, and he overplayed his hand.

My sentiments exactly... "best team ever".... 6 games into the season, and EVERYONE knew he had overplayed his hand. Playoff aspirations are gone.

Said this in another thread, Franklin simply needed to live to fight another day, and he didn't.

Is it going to become a mess? Yes. Is it worth the mess? Maybe. To me, it's an exciting time. Have faith.

 

[Bison13]

Sorry Marshall as I have previously defended JF but with what we have see in the last 2+ weeks and what it has done to him, the players and the staff, it was time.

 

[BCS PSU]

I think being jeered off the field after a double overtime loss can take the starch out of a team and its coaching staff.
My issue isn't searching for a new coach and direction. That sort of thing is routine. My outrage is centered around the entitled fans that treated Franklin like he was trash. 1 year after making the final four. My contention is that without the stadium outrage, he would have finished the season and there could have been an orderly and dignified transition, if needed. Anyone who can't see that this is a stain on PSU athletics, isn't paying attenion.

You're being totally melodramtic. I was a Franklin apologist until recently, but it's clear that he had taken this program as far as he could and a change had to be made, which probably will be good for him too. Accepting that the personnel losses, especially on defense, were worse than I thought that they would be, his staff and he did a terrible job with this team. Also, he has to be blamed for the glaring lack of senior and junior depth on the d-line and linebacker, where we're running out mostly non-Big 10 caliber players And above all, the offense under his direction has been a mess all season.

Change never is easy, but it's often necessary. Look at how Bama was resurrected after Saban took over, and it he didn't have immediate success there.

Finally, I don't know if you were at the game on Saturday, but I was, and it was a totally negative and toxic atmosphere up there; I've been going to PSU games since 1975 and I've never experienced the negativity like I experienced on Saturday. It was like being at a pro game in which the home team is bad. For whatever reason, and there were some valid ones, Franklin had lost almost all of the fan base and, when that happens at a college program, you can't continue because college programs are dependent on donors.

In the end, even with his inability to beat OSU and Oregon, a lot of people almost could accept it because he won almost all of the other games. However, when you start losing to teams like UCLA and Northwestern, and the team appears disinterested and poorly prepared, it no longer is acceptable.

 

[Nits1989]

Michigan and Ohio State have parted ways with coaches who couldn't beat the other. Not saying its right or wrong, but its a reality. PSU joined that club I guess.

 

[Marshall2323]

My sentiments exactly... "best team ever".... 6 games into the season, and EVERYONE knew he had overplayed his hand. Playoff aspirations are gone.

Said this in another thread, Franklin simply needed to live to fight another day, and he didn't.

Is it going to become a mess? Yes. Is it worth the mess? Maybe. To me, it's an exciting time. Have faith.

Have faith in what?

 

[Marshall2323]

Ok take care

Ready for the Bobby Petrino era? LOL We deserve better!

 

[m.knox]

Have faith in what?

Ten win seasons. Eleven win seasons. Playoffs....

 

[Marshall2323]

Ten win seasons. Eleven win seasons. Playoffs....

I should live that long. Next season you won't know the players without a roster in hand. Do we have faith that the new guy gets booed off the field if he loses to Ohio State? Tennessee is on their 5th coach since firing Phil Fulmer.

 

[EricStratton-RushChairman]

I have run global enterprise software teams for last 2 decades... i can recount many times when we had a seemingly highly competent sales executive that would finish 80-85% of sales plan, year after year. Despite pointing out over and over the same basic mistakes holding him back, getting them training and co-selling support, they just couldn't meet expectations. There comes a time when you just have to look at the mountain of data and decide "a duck is a duck". All you need to watch is the last 2 minutes of first half against UCLA to understand CJF's game day talent's were never going to grow/change/improve.

He was an above average recruiter, an average judge of coordinator/assistant talent, and an above average PR guy. He was a horrible game day coach, just horrible. It neve got better. He always seemed to shine in games that didn't matter, like both Rose Bowls, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl. If he coached against Oregon the way he approached those games we probably aren't having this discussion.

 

[Midnighter]

Glad to see you are doing well Marshall.

 

[m.knox]

I should live that long. Next season you won't know the players without a roster in hand.

Exercise and eat healthy to be around longer! If it makes you feel any better, I'm nearly two decades younger and still need a roster every year.....

 

[Big_O]

IMO Franklin was a good, but not excellent recruiter and a below average coach. His game day coaching was abhorrent at times with the team appearing unprepared and/or unmotivated many times. He got the talent level above what it was when he arrived, but never to a premier level I believe averaging around 14th in the country over the past 5 years. With below average coaching, that talent level allows you to beat mediocre to bad teams. However, you are going to struggle against teams with equal talent and not going to beat teams that better talent. That will get you 9-10 wins a season in the old B10 prior to the addition of the newly added west coast teams.

One of Franklin’s biggest weakness was his boasting that he never could back up and that really irritated me. Dominate the state? At times he got dominated in the state. Becoming elite? They became okay to very good.

The great coaches are able to scheme and motivate lesser talent to win games against greater talent. That is not CJF. I believe Franklin is a good program builder and nice guy. But he doesn’t have “it” to get you to the next level. He is too much a friend and buddy to his players, and not enough of a boss and disciplinarian. So it was time to move on, especially when it became apparent that he had lost the team. I hope the interim coach can get the team more focused, disciplined and motivated. At least that would be an improvement over what we have seen so far this season. We shall see.

 

[LMTLION]

Sorry Marshall as I have previously defended JF but with what we have see in the last 2+ weeks and what it has done to him, the players and the staff, it was time.

I feel the same way, and I feel there is something else behind the curtain that we’re not aware of. I am hoping that somebody in the media does their due diligence to figure out what happened. He is not himself this year. Another poster compared it to the Franklin from the Covid season, and I would agree with that as well. That Franklin was preoccupied with his daughter‘s medical situation in relation to Covid. I wonder if he similarly has a personal issue in the background that is taking his focus away. It can also simply be stress. There is a lot of stress behind living up to the 2025 Natty expectations, backed by reportedly one of the highest NIL payrolls as well. These days you have many bosses, the AD and millionaire donors.

 

[84lion]

I think being jeered off the field after a double overtime loss can take the starch out of a team and its coaching staff.
My issue isn't searching for a new coach and direction. That sort of thing is routine. My outrage is centered around the entitled fans that treated Franklin like he was trash. 1 year after making the final four. My contention is that without the stadium outrage, he would have finished the season and there could have been an orderly and dignified transition, if needed. Anyone who can't see that this is a stain on PSU athletics, isn't paying attenion.

It's a new era. I would love nothing more than to go back to the era of Joe, young men earning degrees instead of NIL money, well-spoken, solid young guys that everyone could admire and we could all be proud of. That era is gone. College football is now about big money. Players are paid. It's more like "Saturday NFL" than anything else. You can try to buck the trend, but what pays the freight is the money. If the rumors are true, I think Adidas, new big sponsor, wanted Franklin out. The jeering and booing may be classless, but ultimately, what got Franklin fired was (again if rumors true) Adidas putting up the money to do it.

Bison's right, it was time. I remember standing in line at the Creamery back in 2002 prior to the Nebraska game. There was an awful lot of grumbling even then about "time for Joe to go." Even I wanted to Joe to retire gracefully. I was so proud that night when the team throttled Nebraska (ranked no. 8 at the time). The crowd was loud and insane. Winning will do that for ya. Had Franklin's team pulled out a miracle against Oregon, prepared properly for UCLA (which they should have anyway), and beaten Northwestern (like they should have), I doubt we'd be having this conversation - Adidas be damned.

No, it's not all about winning - but that's a huge part of it, in fact, that's what's it's all about. You don't play to lose, and it's hard to bask in "moral victories."

 

[Meats Lab]

Growing up in Pa. in the late 50's and 60's it seemed natural to be a Penn State Football fan. Got to attend my first game in November 1966. That's when the love affair started to reach full bloom. Later, as a young high school coach, I followed Joe and emulated a great deal of his philosophy. Like virtually everyone else, I knew he was special and to me anyway, he made it seem that he made everything PSU a cut above. When they assassinated him.....I blamed it on a conspiracy of a small group of Trustees and government officials who had sinister agendas. It took a period of time, but James Franklin brought me back to believing Penn State was really the special place that I cherished in my youth.
Fanatics are in every sport and fanbase. PSU had some and it was fun watching them poke at Franklin and cry, "we deserve better."
What has transpired the past 3 weeks......turning on Franklin immediately after the Oregon game.....and gutting the work that has been done since 2014, defies explanation or justification.
You have successfully gotten rid of James Franklin.
Enjoy the season !
Congratulations! While all the jaekels and ghouls cried about Franklin not "winning the big one...." LOL he just won 50 million dollars.
You have also lost your entire recruiting class. The opt outs and portal entries start this morning.
Even Humpty Dumpty couldn't put this back together again. Let's see how long it will be before Penn State can win 10 meaningless games in one season again.

We Are......just like Auburn.....Nebraska....and the rest.

How long you ask? Sooner rather than later.

 

[CDLionFL]

If the hump is the national championship.....LOL
If the hump is getting in the playoffs, he got over the hump last year.
The real issue is that PSU over its entire history has proven to be a 7-12 program.
Wanting it to be a top 5 is wonderful. It isn't.

Why can’t it be? What’s wrong with striving for that? The days of having a coach around for 10-20-50 years is long gone. Those idyllic days of the past are gone. If you didn’t sign up for that and don’t want to adjust to the times, that’s fine. But don’t be going scorched Earth on the rest of the fanbase who is adjusting and wants to be the top dog.

 

[psu31trap]

Winning a National Championship requires (some might say demands) alumni‘s, the fan base and University to all be on the same page. A great example is Michigan. Whether you hate them or not Jim Harbaugh did what was necessary to win a National Championship and they succeeded. Every year teams like OSU, Alabama and Georgia are led by coaches like Harbaugh who will do what ever it takes to win it all. Don’t let anyone BS you into believing anything different, they’re going to do what it takes to win it all. Whether you loved Coach Franklin or hated him the one common denominator is that he was never going to be that guy. At the end of the season the AD will will divulge two or three HC names on who he’s considering hiring. Those names will immediately tell you how serious the program is about winning another NC. JMHO

 

[pendal1]

You're being totally melodramtic. I was a Franklin apologist until recently, but it's clear that he had taken this program as far as he could and a change had to be made, which probably will be good for him too. Accepting that the personnel losses, especially on defense, were worse than I thought that they would be, his staff and he did a terrible job with this team. Also, he has to be blamed for the glaring lack of senior and junior depth on the d-line and linebacker, where we're running out mostly non-Big 10 caliber players And above all, the offense under his direction has been a mess all season.

Change never is easy, but it's often necessary. Look at how Bama was resurrected after Saban took over, and it he didn't have immediate success there.

Finally, I don't know if you were at the game on Saturday, but I was, and it was a totally negative and toxic atmosphere up there; I've been going to PSU games since 1975 and I've never experienced the negativity like I experienced on Saturday. It was like being at a pro game in which the home team is bad. For whatever reason, and there were some valid ones, Franklin had lost almost all of the fan base and, when that happens at a college program, you can't continue because college programs are dependent on donors.

In the end, even with his inability to beat OSU and Oregon, a lot of people almost could accept it because he won almost all of the other games. However, when you start losing to teams like UCLA and Northwestern, and the team appears disinterested and poorly prepared, it no longer is acceptable.

This is the point. Franklin had completely lost the fanbase. And from the sounds of it he lost the locker room and his relationship with Penn State admins turned toxic. In the postgame he refused to say he was committed to Penn State.
And lets face it being at one school for 12 years is a lifetime anymore. James helped Penn State and Penn State gave him 12 years to win a big game and he couldn't do it.
I think this fanbase gives a lot. We travel hours to Beaver Stadium in most cases and the fans deserve to celebrate a big win more regularly than once every 12 years.
And yes college football has changed. This is pro football now so there's no more free passes. Same goes for these kids. They wanted to be paid. Well they are and a lot of money so we expect production.

 

[pendal1]

I should live that long. Next season you won't know the players without a roster in hand. Do we have faith that the new guy gets booed off the field if he loses to Ohio State? Tennessee is on their 5th coach since firing Phil Fulmer.

He had 12 years. That's a good run. This season is a disaster and James couldn't say he was committed to Penn State. I don't think it's unreasonable for Penn State to want to win a big game once every 12 years.

 

[ApexLion]

Thanks @Marshall2323

Prior to this season, I was hoping Franklin could get into the playoffs and possibly even win it this year before I end my attention and time after 54 years of following the program. My take was that Kraft would wait, assess and actually serve as an independent-minded leader unlike many of his timid AD colleagues around the country, if only to make a point about Penn State and the Penn State Way. Not to be. Times change as the board members, many of whom no doubt haven't experienced change, keep repeating. When Joe was railroaded as an easy mark, I too, said careful for what you wish for because change isn't a guarantee of better days. Thankfully, Coach Franklin, a Pennsylvanian (yes that still means something to many) embraced the values of the university while using the tools of a modern coach. Hopefully, the next coach is the same way. I don't disagree with the decision but I am embarrassed about what it symbolizes. I wish Kraft well as he finds the next leader.

 

[BobPSU92]

Maybe this is the first step in shutting down Penn State Football. Get out of the rat race.

 

[BobPSU92]

He had 12 years. That's a good run. This season is a disaster and James couldn't say he was committed to Penn State. I don't think it's unreasonable for Penn State to want to win a big game once every 12 years.

Perhaps James knew at the postgame PRESSER. that he was out.

 

[Bwifan]

Maybe this is the first step in shutting down Penn State Football. Get out of the rat race.

SHUT. IT. DOWN.

 

[Pennst8]

Growing up in Pa. in the late 50's and 60's it seemed natural to be a Penn State Football fan. Got to attend my first game in November 1966. That's when the love affair started to reach full bloom. Later, as a young high school coach, I followed Joe and emulated a great deal of his philosophy. Like virtually everyone else, I knew he was special and to me anyway, he made it seem that he made everything PSU a cut above. When they assassinated him.....I blamed it on a conspiracy of a small group of Trustees and government officials who had sinister agendas. It took a period of time, but James Franklin brought me back to believing Penn State was really the special place that I cherished in my youth.
Fanatics are in every sport and fanbase. PSU had some and it was fun watching them poke at Franklin and cry, "we deserve better."
What has transpired the past 3 weeks......turning on Franklin immediately after the Oregon game.....and gutting the work that has been done since 2014, defies explanation or justification.
You have successfully gotten rid of James Franklin.
Enjoy the season !
Congratulations! While all the jaekels and ghouls cried about Franklin not "winning the big one...." LOL he just won 50 million dollars.
You have also lost your entire recruiting class. The opt outs and portal entries start this morning.
Even Humpty Dumpty couldn't put this back together again. Let's see how long it will be before Penn State can win 10 meaningless games in one season again.

We Are......just like Auburn.....Nebraska....and the rest.

Whoa! Now that's a tough head space. Good luck with that.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Couldn't agree more. It's professional football. Reality is upon us. Tradition or even a sense of values (other than money) can no longer be invoked. Next years roster will be comprised of mercenaries purchased from the portal. Go State!
We drove a coach out of town that more often than not won 9,10.11 games. Why? Because he didn't beat Ohio State. Count me among those who are waiting to see the savior who will win 10 and 11 and beat Ohio State. I'm 76, Is it next season? LOLLOLLOLLOL

He was done. You can complain about it, you can lament it, you can want to the old days to be back again, but he was done. He lost this team. A team doesn’t lose these last two games if the coach has them pointed in the right direction. I personally checked out after the UCLA game because it appeared he and his staff and subsequently his players had also checked out. I don’t like, but the right move was made.

 

[Connorpozlee]

I think being jeered off the field after a double overtime loss can take the starch out of a team and its coaching staff.
My issue isn't searching for a new coach and direction. That sort of thing is routine. My outrage is centered around the entitled fans that treated Franklin like he was trash. 1 year after making the final four. My contention is that without the stadium outrage, he would have finished the season and there could have been an orderly and dignified transition, if needed. Anyone who can't see that this is a stain on PSU athletics, isn't paying attenion.

You don’t think the man was enough of a leader to overcome fans booing him after a tough loss? If so, he wasn’t the guy we needed in charge.

 

[StamfordBridgeVikingatLeftOffensiveTackle]

If the hump is the national championship.....LOL
If the hump is getting in the playoffs, he got over the hump last year.
The real issue is that PSU over its entire history has proven to be a 7-12 program.
Wanting it to be a top 5 is wonderful. It isn't.

Hope springs eternal for our fans, but PSU hasn't been in the conversation of truly elite programs for decades. It isn't likely PSU will be in that conversation any time soon. Nevertheless, the image of CJF standing outside the tunnel shell shocked while being loudly booed and jeered by fans signaled the end. His tenure was clearly over.

 

[Bvillebaron]

I have run global enterprise software teams for last 2 decades... i can recount many times when we had a seemingly highly competent sales executive that would finish 80-85% of sales plan, year after year. Despite pointing out over and over the same basic mistakes holding him back, getting them training and co-selling support, they just couldn't meet expectations. There comes a time when you just have to look at the mountain of data and decide "a duck is a duck". All you need to watch is the last 2 minutes of first half against UCLA to understand CJF's game day talent's were never going to grow/change/improve.

He was an above average recruiter, an average judge of coordinator/assistant talent, and an above average PR guy. He was a horrible game day coach, just horrible. It neve got better. He always seemed to shine in games that didn't matter, like both Rose Bowls, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl. If he coached against Oregon the way he approached those games we probably aren't having this discussion.

Fine. But a serious question for you. After posting the obligatory thanks to Franklin for all that he did for the program in his press release Kraft said that coaches at Penn State are held to a higher standard which is Big Ten and National Championships. Does that standard apply to Kraft’s tenure as AD if his hire turns out to be worse than Franklin.

 

[troutrus]

Though it seems cold the way it went down, most of us are not privy to what has gone on behind the scenes. Early season vs the cupcakes was showing issues with this team, suggesting that something was not right.
Though casual observers such as myself were lulled into believing the team was saving their best for the conference games, folks in the know on this forum seemed to be aware that something was awry.
I like to think that the administrators were seeing an issue and discussing the same with the coach throughout, and that in the end the parting was a mutual agreement.
Though many of us may long for the good old days of “student-athletes”, today’s game is obviously as much big business as it is a pastime for us fans.
Good luck and thank you to those that are parting, and welcome and good luck to those about to enter this lions den.

 

[Midnighter]

Fine. But a serious question for you. After posting the obligatory thanks to Franklin for all that he did for the program in his press release Kraft said that coaches at Penn State are held to a higher standard which is Big Ten and National Championships. Does that standard apply to Kraft’s tenure as AD if his hire turns out to be worse than Franklin.

It should.