After James Franklin was fired at Penn State after 12 seasons as the Nittany Lions' football coach, college football fans knew it wasn't a matter of if, but when the veteran coach would return to the sideline.
Franklin went on ESPN's College GameDay six days after he was fired and made it clear that he's a football coach and he's going to end up back on the sideline. The sideline he's going to tom be roaming in 2026 is at Lane Stadium as Virginia Tech's head coach. Talk about a home run hire: firing Brent Pry last September.
Since being hired in Blacksburg, Franklin has made it clear that he's got a chip on his shoulder. That could be bad for the ACC and the rest of college football. As if Franklin needed to add to the already huge chip on his shoulder, the Sporting News made it bigger.
Sporting News has baffling ranking for Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin
Bill Bender of the Sporting News ranked the Top 25 college football coaches going into the 2026 season. They had a surprising spot for Franklin, dropping him from No. 8 last season to No. 20 for this season. Before Penn State trolls get all excited, their new coach, Matt Campbell, came in at No. 21, behind Franklin after tumbling five slots from where he was last season at Iowa State.
"Franklin begins a new chapter at Virginia Tech after parting ways at Penn State last season. Franklin has top-notch program building skills, recruits well and enjoyed a consistent track record of success with the Nittany Lions. A 4-21 record against top-10 opponents followed Franklin throughout his tenure at Penn State. A fresh start at Blacksburg was in order – and Franklin should challenge to be one of the top ACC coaches as early as this season,'' wrote Bender.
As expected, Franklin's struggles are pointed out, but that is something that he wouldn't deny or hide from. However, things are going to be different in the ACC. There is no Michigan, Ohio State, or Indiana that they will have to face. Sure, there's Miami, but if there is another coach who struggles at times in big games is Mario Cristobal. SMU, Clemson, and Louisville are good programs, but not on the same level as Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan.
There are going to be a lot of eyes on Franklin in his first season in Blacksburg, and the schedule is doable, especially in the season to gain some momentum. The backend is difficult in November, but an eight or nine-win season for Virginia Tech this season would certainly vault Franklin up the rankings. There is nothing scarier in college football than a coach with a chip on his shoulder.
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