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Big Ten Football Coach Rankings

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A Big Ten logo on the field before the Big Ten Conference football championship game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A Big Ten logo on the field before the Big Ten Conference football championship game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks on the field during the first quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Apr 16, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks on the field during the first quarter of the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

Penn State hired head coach James Franklin a few years back after losing their head coach to the NFL.  This transition was supposed to be easy but it really hasn’t been.

Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini /

Illinois Fighting Illini

Franklin came from Vanderbilt where he had moderate success with an SEC team that has been the bottom of the barrel for a while.

The Nittany Lions are having success on the recruiting front, though.  In the two recruiting classes that Franklin has brought it, the average rating is 17.5.

This is good enough to build a solid team in Happy Valley.

Franklin’s coaching record is what is hurting his reputation right now.  He was 7-6 this past season and won the Pinstripe Bowl versus Boston College.

This was an okay bowl victory, but not a Penn State level bowl victory.  He needs to do better.

I think things might free up with Franklin now that Christian Hackenberg has departed for the NFL.  I expect to see his game plan implemented.

Franklin is a good coach that inherited a situation that was still healing.  I think things could turn around but the personnel might not be there yet, that is why he ranks No. 8.

Next: No. 7

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