In the wild, unpredictable world of college football, where legacies are made and shattered by a single Saturday afternoon, James Franklin has quietly — and at times defiantly — carved out a seat at the table with the sport’s most powerful figures. And after a landmark season in Happy Valley, it seems the long-simmering debates about his place in the coaching hierarchy are finally starting to tilt in his favor.
A New Era for Penn State Football
Last season wasn’t just good for Penn State — it was transformative. The Nittany Lions stormed their way to an 11-win campaign, claimed a spot in the Big Ten Championship, and punched their first-ever ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals. It was the kind of year that programs dream about and fanbases rally around. For Franklin, it wasn’t just a high note — it was a statement.
Now, in the aftermath of that breakthrough, CBS Sports has rewarded Franklin with a coveted top-10 spot in their latest ranking of Power Four college football coaches, planting him firmly at No. 7. It marks a significant leap from his No. 11 slot just a season ago — evidence of the shifting narrative surrounding the man some once mockingly dubbed “Big Game James.”
A Season of Triumph and Trolls
As CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli cleverly put it, “There’s an argument to be made that Franklin fans and Franklin haters both got what they wanted last year.” On one hand, Franklin delivered arguably his finest season yet in State College — better even than his 2016 Big Ten title-winning campaign. The Lions reached the semifinals, won two playoff games, and set a new standard for the program.
Yet, as is tradition in college football’s cutthroat world, critics still found their talking points. Losses to perennial juggernauts Ohio State and Oregon in the regular season gave skeptics ammunition, and while the Nittany Lions knocked off SMU and Boise State in the playoffs, detractors were quick to call those victories less than marquee. Thus, the infamous “Big Game James” nickname still lingered — even as Franklin climbed the coaching ranks.
The Company He Keeps
Franklin’s new top-10 status places him among an elite fraternity of sideline masterminds. The only names ahead of him in CBS’s rankings? Kirby Smart, the reigning king at Georgia. Ohio State’s relentless Ryan Day. Clemson’s ever-controversial Dabo Swinney. The resurgent Steve Sarkisian at Texas. Oregon’s rising star Dan Lanning. And Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, whose Irish handed Penn State a tough loss in the Orange Bowl.
For context, Franklin received voting support as high as No. 5 and as low as No. 9 among CBS Sports and 247Sports analysts — signaling growing respect for the job he’s done at a historically proud program hungry for modern glory.
A Resume on the Rise
Since taking the reins in 2014, Franklin has stacked an impressive 101-42 record at Penn State — and the arrow is unmistakably pointing upward. What once felt like a program stuck in Big Ten purgatory now looks like a perennial playoff contender, with Franklin’s fingerprints all over its aggressive recruiting and fearless, fast-paced style of play.
The 2024 campaign wasn’t just a one-off; it was a glimpse at what might be the new normal in Happy Valley. And if Franklin can string together another postseason run this fall — ideally one that includes a signature win over Ohio State or Michigan — his name might start creeping even closer to the summit of these rankings.
The Road Ahead: Redemption and Respect
As the 2025 season approaches, the stakes have never been higher for Franklin and his Nittany Lions. Expectations in State College are sky-high, and the fanbase is no longer content with moral victories or respectable losses. This is a program gunning for championships, and Franklin now has both the roster and the national standing to chase them down.
Should he clear a few more hurdles, shake the lingering Big Game James label once and for all, and perhaps avenge last season’s Orange Bowl defeat to Freeman’s Irish, there’s no telling how high he could climb.
One thing’s for certain: the days of James Franklin being left out of the elite conversation are over. He’s here, he’s respected, and he’s not done yet.
College football, consider yourself warned.
