The post Penn State football fans demand James Franklin's job after mind-boggling loss to UCLA appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Last Saturday's loss to previously sixth-ranked Oregon made sense for the Penn State football team. While head coach James Franklin has had plenty of success in Happy Valley, the Penn State football program has routinely come up short in the big games. Many expected the Nittany Lions to rebound with a convincing road victory over fellow Big Ten school UCLA . However, the Bruins flipped the script, defeating Franklin's program 42-37 at the Rose Bowl. After the loss, many Penn State football fans were shocked. Sports betting analyst Ben Rasa posted a hilarious reaction to the Nittany Lions' loss on X, formerly Twitter.
"James Franklin, realizing if he loses to UCLA, they can't say he only loses the big games anymore," quipped the sports betting expert.
Well, Rasa isn't wrong. The UCLA matchup was seen as a layup win for the Penn State football program. Now, the Nittany Lions will head back home to host Northwestern next Saturday. If they lose that matchup, any chance at reaching the highs of last season will almost assuredly evaporate. Can Franklin turn his program around before this season ends in an even more disappointing fashion than 2024?
Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Nittany Lions' offense under quarterback Drew Allar wasn't the issue. Allar guided the Penn State offensive attack to 37 points, which should have been enough to dispatch the Bruins. However, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava accounted for five touchdowns, including three on the ground. The former Tennessee signal caller routinely burned the visiting Penn State football team. Many fans and pundits on X questioned whether or not Franklin would even be allowed on the plane after losing to one of the Big Ten's worst teams.
"James Franklin catching the flight back to Penn State," posted Barstool Sports show Pardon My Take.
While Franklin almost certainly boarded the team plane back to Happy Valley, the head coach was likely anything but happy. The Nittany Lions' defense was torn to shreds. Multiple fumbles and turnovers on downs didn't do the Penn State football team any favors either. Can Franklin and his coaching staff get the Penn State football program back on track before Northwestern comes to town? If not, the long-time head coach will likely feel his seat get even hotter.
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