James Franklin and Penn State’s nightmare stretch continued with a stunning 22–21 home loss to Northwestern. This was their third straight defeat in a season that once looked full of promise. The Wildcats pulled off the upset despite trailing in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Drew Allar struggled before exiting late with a hand injury, and Penn State’s offense again looked disjointed and uninspired. The loss followed two previous heartbreakers, a double-overtime defeat to Oregon and a shocking collapse against winless UCLA.
In just three weeks, Penn State has gone from a potential playoff contender to a team without direction or rhythm. Fans made their frustration clear on Saturday. Chants calling for Franklin’s dismissal echoed through Beaver Stadium, and social media erupted with calls for a coaching change.
Some are even resorting to memes and jokes to get their point across. The internet is flooded with James Franklin memes following the loss, and here are the top 10 memes for the occasion.
“This Penn State fan shows James Franklin what every fan is thinking,” a fan posted with a video of another fan showing middle finger allegedly to the coach.
“James Franklin when Penn State has a must win game,” a fan posted with an image of Keegan-Michael Key.
“James Franklin the last 3 weeks:” FanDuel also got into the action.
“James Franklin winning a game that’s not against West Arkansas A&M Valley State,” a fan wrote.
“James Franklin after losing to unranked teams in back-to-back weeks,” FanDuel Sportsbook posted an image of Franklin with LinkedIn’s “#Opentowork” filter.
James Franklin after losing to unranked teams in back-to-back weeks pic.twitter.com/fWZJYhAKzv
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 11, 2025
“James Franklin is 10000000% getting fired. Started #2 rank overall. Three awful losses in a row. Losing high ranked recruits,” a fan wrote.
“James Franklin when it’s time to make coaching adjustments,” Hater Report posted with an AI-generated image of Doc Rivers.
“James Franklin trying to get in the Penn State facility on Monday:” FanDuel posted.
James Franklin trying to get in the Penn State facility on Monday: pic.twitter.com/xLmM431zcr
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) October 11, 2025
“James Franklin torched his career in 14 days. Goodbye,” a fan wrote.
“James Franklin after losing 3 straight games:” a fan wrote.
James Franklin after losing 3 straight games: pic.twitter.com/f1EPV88ah2
— Just Sayin 🌰 (@buckeyehero1) October 11, 2025
For many, patience has run out. After more than a decade in charge, critics believe Franklin has been unable to push Penn State past mediocrity against top opponents. With the program now spiraling, the question has shifted from whether Franklin can fix things to whether he should still be the one trying.
James Franklin’s Massive Buyout Puts Penn State in a Tough Spot
Despite the uproar, firing James Franklin won’t come easy. His 10-year extension, signed in 2021, makes parting ways extremely expensive. If Penn State moves on during the 2025 season, the buyout sits around $56 million.
That number drops slightly after the year ends, but remains in the high-forty-million range for 2026. Each following season, the figure decreases by about $8 million. The structure heavily protects Franklin, leaving Penn State with limited flexibility unless boosters step in to cover the payout.
If Franklin were to resign, he’d owe the school only around $2 million, which drops to $1 million after January. The massive gap makes a midseason firing almost impossible financially.
That means, at least for now, the Nittany Lions appear stuck, burdened by a bloated contract and a coach under mounting fire from fans and analysts alike.
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