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James Franklin on firing at Penn State: 'We’re going to win a national championship somewhere else now'

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra10/18/25SamraSource
James Franklin
(Charles LeClaire)

Ahead of Week 5’s showdown with Oregon, ESPN’s College GameDay made its way to Happy Valley, where Penn State head coach James Franklin appeared as the leader of a program with championship aspirations.

The Nittany Lions were ranked among the nation’s elite, full of belief that 2025 could finally be their breakthrough year. But just a few short weeks later, everything unraveled.

On Saturday, Franklin returned to College GameDay ahead of Week 8’s matchups. This time, it wasn’t as Penn State’s head coach, but as a guest reflecting on his sudden firing. He was candid and introspective, addressing how things fell apart so quickly for him.

“I can’t answer that. To be honest with you, I’m still working through it myself. It feels surreal,” Franklin stated. “I just got a message, you know, from Drew Allar’s dad that he’s sitting home as well, ‘We both should be in Iowa.’ It’s what we’re used to doing and how we operate. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, 15 years as a head coach.

“To think that essentially six games ago, we were fighting for a chance to be in the national championship, a two-minute drive away. So that’s the thing. I really can’t answer that. 12 years, a ton of good moments, a bunch of big wins. Decisions were made, and I’m not involved in those decisions.

“I’m very, very grateful for the time I had and, most importantly, for the relationships I was able to build. I thought we were going to win a national championship. We were close. That goal hasn’t changed. We’re just going to go win a national championship somewhere else now.”

Alas, Franklin’s tenure at Penn State officially ended after a 3-3 start to the season, capped by back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern. His departure marked the close of a remarkable 12-year run that saw the Nittany Lions post a 104-45 record, including six seasons with 10 or more wins and a run in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

For Franklin, the chapter at Penn State may be over, but his fire hasn’t been dimmed. The same coach who once came within minutes of getting to a national title still believes that dream is alive. Only now, it will have to be realized somewhere else.