College football coaches are beginning to get fired. The Big Ten is no exception. Penn State’s James Franklin and USC’s Lincoln Riley are two names that have been linked to the hot seat, but which one would be let go first?
The Penn State Nittany Lions are spiraling downward after back-to-back losses, including one against the winless UCLA Bruins. Riley’s team has suffered from poor game management, undisciplined penalties, and weak defensive performances, among other problems. The Southern California Football Roundtable determined whether Riley or Franklin would be fired first.
Matt Zemek, Editor
Franklin, but it’s not an easy call. Both men will enter 2026 on the hot seat. USC having a top-ranked 2026 recruiting class probably will enable Riley to hang onto his job longer, but there are no guarantees. Riley actually has to get something done at USC, and if not, Franklin could post his normal 10-2 season in 2026 and stay on for multiple additional seasons in Happy Valley. This is a question I wouldn’t want to bet money on.
Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire
James Franklin. I’m giving him a bit of a pass for losing to Oregon at home, even though I probably shouldn’t, but he did not have his team ready to play last week against UCLA. Franklin doesn’t bring as much to the table as Riley does, making him more expendable. Franklin needs to have a great end to the season to avoid the job market this winter.
Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire
I do not think either coach gets fired after this season, but I can absolutely envision a scenario after this season where Penn State and Franklin agree to “mutually part ways” and he leaves for a job somewhere else “entirely on his own accord.” (Think Andy Enfield departing USC men’s basketball for SMU.)
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire
Franklin will be gone before Riley. Fans of the Nittany Lions have been demanding for Penn State to move off of Franklin and with more difficult games on the horizon, it probably will only get louder. Riley has a top-ranked recruiting class coming in next year and appears to have more time to prove himself.
Micah Huff, Trojans Wire
James Franklin has been with this program for more than a decade. Lincoln Riley still has this, being his second year in the Big Ten. Riley also has the #1 recruiting class coming in next season. Riley is more of a guarantee to stay; the loss to UCLA really hurts Franklin’s chances of staying.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Southern California Roundtable–Will James Franklin or Lincoln Riley be fired first?
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, Dylan McNeill and Matt Zemek, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
