Jonathan Smith reacts to firings of James Franklin, alma mater Oregon State

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith was asked about James Franklin and Trent Bray getting fired after the weekend, but kept it simple. Smith didn’t directly comment on Penn State or his alma mater Oregon State, but mentioned the respect he had for both coaches.

Bray took over for Smith when the latter left for Michigan State ahead of the 2024 season. But the big news was Franklin getting axed after a 3-3 record this year, following a 3-0 start and No. 3 ranking in the AP Poll.

But that’s the reality of the landscape of college football. Schools are no longer waiting around if they feel they can make a massive decision. That was the case with these guys, particularly with Franklin.

“This landscape where it’s at, I have a deep respect for both those two guys and things,” Smith said. “But this landscape and each situation are different, but I know I got a deep respect for both those guys.”

Bray went 5-14 in a season-plus with the team. He took over for Smith but was let go following an 0-7 record this year. And funny enough, Smith did not coach head to head against Franklin while with the Spartans, having not played them in 2024 and don’t play them until November 15th this year.

Franklin leaves State College with a 104-45 record since 2014 when he took the job. He is 128-60 overall as a head coach, which includes his three-year stint at Vanderbilt (24-15). Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

There’s been an abundance of criticism surrounding Franklin going into the 2025 season. Fresh off a 2-1 record in last year’s College Football Playoff, this year was seen as national title or bust.

With a lot of players returning, Penn State got off to a 3-0 start to the year, beating up less than stellar non-conference foes. But losses to Oregon in overtime and then upsets at the hands of UCLA and Northwestern, the Nittany Lions found themselves unranked and searching for answers.

With Franklin now gone, Penn State will have to pivot to a new option that can get them over the jump. Franklin led Penn State to a Big Ten title in 2016, but only made the CFP last season, beating SMU and Boise State in the first two rounds. But, the Nittany Lions fell to Notre Dame in the semifinals, missing out on a chance at playing Ohio State for the title.

Franklin’s big game struggles were the biggest talking point among critics. He was 4-21 against AP Poll Top 10 teams in his tenure with the Nittany Lions. There were even “Fire Franklin” chants at the end of Penn State’s loss to Northwestern, signaling the end.