Even though the writing was on the wall, James Franklin didn't believe it could happen. In the end, it did when Penn State fired its long-term coach after three straight losses, the last two Big Ten lower-tier teams, Northwestern and UCLA.
"I was in shock," Franklin said on College GameDay on Saturday. "I'm still working through it myself. It feels surreal."
When the dust settles, Franklin sounded like he wants to coach again and coach again real soon, as soon as 2026. There is going to be no shortage of jobs available for him to choose from, but one college football writer made it clear and obvious that Virginia Tech should do one thing: Go all-in for James Franklin.