CBS Sports ranks James Franklin as one of the nation’s top coaches
As is typical with a perennial top-10 team, the head coach is likely among the top in the country. Most people would say that James Franklin is probably slightly below the top echelon of college football head coaches. Still, he is undoubtedly consistent in churning out a top-tier squad, boosting his ranking.
CBS Sports ranked Franklin as the 10th-best head coach in college football a year ago. Franklin and the Nittany Lions did not have a spectacular year, as the program failed to defeat either Ohio State or Michigan, but it was a respectable 10-3 season.
With Nick Saban’s and Jim Harbaugh’s departures, could Franklin move into the top 10 of Power Four head coaches?
CBS Sports and Tom Fornelli said no and moved him down to 11th. It isn’t surprising, considering Franklin’s failure to win the “big game.” Fornelli even suggests that the departures of coaches like Saban and Harbaugh helped keep Franklin’s ranking from falling even further.
Among Big Ten coaches, the Penn State head coach ranked fourth behind conference newcomers Dan Lanning (Oregon), Lincoln Riley (USC), and Big Ten stalwart Ryan Day (Ohio State).
With the expanded playoffs beginning this year, Franklin will have a chance to improve his ranking with another strong season, but with four new coaches now in the fold, it won’t be easy.
