It’s not stunning that Penn State fired coach James Franklin on Sunday after an unforgivable Big Ten loss to lowly Northwestern and the seismic loss to UCLA which got the ball rolling. What is stunning is that James Franklin came within an eyelash of playing for the college football national championship this past January. Now, he’s out. You don’t see that kind of downfall very often in any sport.
Social media shared its thoughts on Penn State firing Franklin after a three-game losing streak that featured a massive upset win by the UCLA Bruins … but that’s not even the full story. There are other Big Ten coaches that are in danger of being fired.
James Franklin was with the Nittany Lions since 2014, but his tenure at Penn State has concluded in a heartbeat. Franklin was not the only Big Ten coach who has struggled in conference play this season. Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State all have big problems with their respective coaches. It’s getting very hot in here.
Here’s what social media had to say about Franklin’s firing, with some added notes about other Big Ten football hot seats as well:
Big buyout
Quick trigger
Big picture
Things change very quickly
In the blink of an eye
Which other Big Ten coaches are on the hot seat?
Franklin was on the hot seat, but he wasn’t the only Big Ten coach that had their seat on fire. Here’s a list of some of the other head coaches with their feet to the flame with help from USA TODAY sports.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers sit at the bottom of the Big Ten conference with a 2-4 record and an 0-3 conference record. Fickell’s chances of leading the Badgers next year continue to fall off a cliff with each game that passes.
“It is shocking how far Wisconsin has plummeted under Fickell’s watch,” College Sports Wire wrote. “His exit is a matter if when, not if.”
Sherrone Moore, Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines have regressed under Moore with two losses so far. Other Big Ten teams have taken the next step, but Michigan has declined and fell out of the top 25 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. Now the once national champion team surrounded by controversy has become an afterthought compared to the true contenders in the Big Ten.
“Michigan does not look like a well-coached team,” College Sports Wire wrote. “This group should be no better than 8-4, and with Indiana becoming a national player under Curt Cignetti, it’s reasonable to say that Michigan is not currently a top-three Big Ten program.”
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans have fallen to a 3-3 record with no wins in conference play. The most recent embarrassment came at home from a rejuvenated UCLA team. The loss was the third in the last three weeks and all of them were by multiple scores. There’s many problem with the Spartans and they start with Smith.
“Aidan Chiles is a bad quarterback; Smith has not developed him,” College Sports Wire wrote. “Michigan State has to be wondering if it will ever get a significant return on its investment. This is a mess with no sign of immediate recovery.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: It’s clear — UCLA broke Penn State and James Franklin
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
