After parting ways with James Franklin, Penn State gambles on Matt Campbell. Can he elevate the Nittany Lions or is this a step backward?
After a 3-3 start to the season, Penn State head coach James Franklin was fired, months after he took the program to the College Football Playoff semifinals, losing to Notre Dame by a late field goal.
Franklin, who went 104-45 at PSU, didn't have to wait long to find a new job. Virginia Tech hired him, hoping he could make the program an immediate threat in the wide-open ACC.
Franklin went to work right away on recruiting, raiding much of the class of 2026 that was set to sign with Penn State out of high school.
PSU's national coaching search lagged before the program ultimately hired Matt Campbell from Iowa State.
Steven Lasson of Athlon Sports gave Virginia Tech a grade of "A" for hiring Franklin. He ranked the hire at No. 3, three spots above where he graded Penn State for hiring Campbell.
"Franklin was dismissed at Penn State in ‘25 after a 3-3 start in a season where the program expected to contend for a national title," Lasson wrote. "Although his tenure in Happy Valley ended in disappointment, Franklin still won 104 games and had six seasons of 10 or more wins.
"Franklin’s struggles in big games are notable, but his ability to win overall at a high level should turn Virginia Tech into an ACC title contender."
The losses in big games are what Franklin will be remembered for in State College. But he had a track record of making the Nittany Lions relevant in the college football conversation, even if things went sideways in 2025.
It's unclear what Penn State will get from Campbell.
While Campbell took an Iowa State school that was used to being at the bottom of the Big 12 and made them into a bowl contender, he never won a conference championship.
More importantly, his team was blown out by Arizona State in the 2024 Big 12 championship 45-19.
Can Campbell win the big game?
With better resources, Campbell should easily put the Nittany Lions into the CFP conversation.
However, the jury is still out as to whether Campbell has the ability to beat elite Big Ten programs like Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon.