Penn State’s regression from preseason title runners to national embarrassment was fast and brutal. After coming off losing against Oregon, analysts were still hopeful. But their loss against 0-4 UCLA fueled the “fire James Franklin” hot takes. Why wouldn’t it? This is the first time they lost against an unranked team since 1985. And now their latest loss against Northwestern is the last nail in the coffin for their season. Fans are fed up with Franklin and are looking at a shiny $50 million replacement.

This loss didn’t just add misery to Franklin’s tenure but also ended their championship hopes this season. He became the first coach to lose against two back-to-back teams even after entering as 20-point favorites. Only Nebraska and Texas Tech did it in the same season. And that’s exactly why a Penn State fan put out a perfect replacement for him on X, saying, “I think IU locked him down, and if they didn’t, they should. The only hope is that he’s originally from PA. I think they’d try to get Matt Rhule from Nebraska, he played at PSU.” Matt Rhule’s ties with PSU go back to 1994, when he played linebacker for them. Nittany Lions had a 41-8 record in his four seasons there. They won one Big Ten title, three bowl victories and a top-20 final ranking every season. Hiring Rhule seems like a fit too good to be true.

After a shaky season last year, Matt Rhule came in strong this time. The Huskers currently hold a 5-1 record. But let’s not forget that even the Huskers couldn’t hold up against strong teams like Michigan, and the rest of their opponents were easy. Teams like Akron, MI State, Maryland, and Cincinnati do not pose as much of a threat. But even UCLA was one of the worst in the power 4, and that’s where the problem began for Franklin.

But is it that straightforward to fire James Franklin and get Matt Rhule? It will be expensive as Rhule is one of the highest-paid coaches in 2025. Nebraska paid him $8,500,000 for this season. Bonus is not included. His buyout is also close to $50 million. So, the only way is if he himself decides to part ways with the team. It is not likely, yet some PSU fans have no other hope left but to dream of a saviour coach.

Despite all the setbacks, James Franklin is not ready to give up, as he’s still focusing on his team’s success. “I’d do anything to take that hurt away from them,” Franklin said about his players after the loss. “But like I told them, we’ve got to stick together. We’ve got to tune out all the noise, and we’ve got to get to work. That’s the only answer. Get to work. We’ve had some adversity in the past. Not like this, but we’re going to get to work.”

There is also another reason for Franklin to not worry about his hot seat. His enormous buyout. Penn State would need to pay him $56 million (including what he’s already been paid to this point) if they fired him this season. If they wait and fire him prior to the 2026 campaign, he will still get paid $48 million. PSU probably will not break the bank on getting rid of Franklin just yet. Not to mention the capital required to get a suitable replacement. Meanwhile, the misery train continues for the fans.

Fans are fed up with Franklin

Losing to Northwestern wasn’t on any fans’ list this weekend. PSU was supposed to be contending with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. Yet here they are. 3-3. The only time they went below .500 in Franklin’s 11 previous seasons was going 4-5 in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Now, you can understand why fans are coming up with different suggestions to replace him. As this fan said, “1. Matt Campbell 2. Lance Leipold 3. Curt Cignetti 4. Matt Rhule I’d give a massive bag to the first 3. I appreciate CJF and all he did to elevate the program, but something is wrong in that locker room. Time to make a change.”

Well, can we blame him? Penn State recorded multiple losses against unranked opponents for the second time in the last 10 years, and this is fueling fans’ anger even more. This comment explains every fan’s frustration: “The Matt Rhule rise and James Franklin collapse are happening at the WORST possible time for us.” The worst thing is they are not even considering the fact that he’s the one who tied with Rip Engle for second most wins in program history.

It’s either sarcasm or a pure jab. Fans aren’t waiting anymore, and this fan comes straight to the point, comparing his losses to Matt Rhule’s rise: “The Penn State head coaching search should have 3 names: Cignetti, Rhule, and Lanning (don’t know if he’d leave).” It looks like everyone is trying to get Rhule into the team, as this fan even set up a player circle for it, saying, “Prayer circle: Nebraska keeps winning & Penn State hires Matt Rhule.” Lastly, this fan sums everyone’s feelings up, urging Penn State to go for Rhule: “I told you Penn St needed to fire Franklin when Rhule became available.” At least for the 2025 season, such a change looks to be impossible given the financial considerations.