By now, if you haven't been living under a rock for the past six weeks, you've heard all the rumors.
Penn State head coach James Franklin has been linked to high profile job openings at USC and LSU by just about every media outlet in the country. And why wouldn't he be. At the time, the rumors sprang up, Franklin had Penn State sitting at 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation with what was the country's top-ranked recruiting class for 2022. He was, without a doubt, the hottest coaching name in the country.
What followed, however, was a five-game stretch in which Penn State went 1-4, including a baffling loss at the hands of lowly Illinois on what was Penn State's homecoming.
The poor run of form has knocked the Nittany Lions clear out of the top 25 and since caused chatter around Franklin's potential job switch to slow significantly, particularly among those in the LSU circle.
While Penn State's dismal stretch, which has seemingly carried over from October into November, coincided with Franklin's lack of solidity when asked about his future, the eighth-year head coach said Tuesday that he doesn't believe there's a straight line to be drawn between the rumors and the struggles.
"Yeah, I get it," Franklin said when asked if the two correlated. "We've been in the same situation before and have had really strong seasons. I think you're also in a situation this year where we've lost some games that we had a chance to win, and our record looks a little bit different. So I get people are trying to connect the dots there.
"All the things that I'm able to control, I'm controlling," he continued. "But I get it. I understand the business. I understand people's concerns. Again, i would just state, looking at my track record over my time here, eight years, my actions, my behaviors, I think they've been pretty consistent since I've been here."
Franklin's suggestion that the team has performed well despite distractions over his job status in the past isn't incorrect, either. After leading Penn State to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance in 2016, he was heavily linked to jobs across the country. Penn State proceeded to go 11-2 in 2017 with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl. He was then linked, again, to USC in 2019 with Clay Helton on the hot seat. That year, he helped coach Penn State to yet another 11-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory. In doing so, it marked the first time since 1996 that Penn State had won 11 games in three out of four seasons. It also marked the most success four-year stretch for the Nittany Lions since 1993-1996.
Though this year has been, undoubtedly, the loudest and more public that the rumors have been. The loss to Illinois has highlighted concerns among fans that both the team and Franklin had their focuses set elsewhere.
Now, it appears more likely than ever that Franklin will be at the helm of the Nittany Lions in 2022. If that's to be the case, it could be his toughest test yet in Happy Valley.
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