Dan Lanning’s blunt look at James Franklin’s shooting

Oregon’s head coach Dan Lanning offered a raw look at the harsh reality of major college football after Penn State sacked James Franklin. His comments show the relentless nature of coaching at the highest level.​​

“That’s the business we’re in. It’s high pressure, the expectations are high, the fan bases want to win – they expect it. You know, there are some really good coaches that really care about what you’ve been doing lately, which is college football. That’s the world we live in,” Lanning comments on Tuesday regarding Penn State’s decision to fire Franklin, according to On3 Sports.

“So it is what it is, right? There’s not much you can say about it other than go do your job and do your best to win games,” Lanning added later.​​

What led to Penn State’s shocking decision to fire James Franklin?

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft fired Franklin on Sunday morning after the Nittany Lions lost their third straight game. The decision came less than 24 hours after a disappointing home loss to Northwestern.​​

Franklin’s 12-year tenure ended with a 104-45 record and six 10-win seasons. He went 4-21 against top-10 AP opponents at Penn State, including just 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams in conference play.​​

It all started with Oregon’s 30-24 double overtime win at Beaver Stadium on September 27th. Lanning’s sixth-ranked Ducks handed the No. 3 Nittany Lions their first loss of the season. Penn State then lost back-to-back games as a 20-plus-point favorite to Northwestern UCLA.

“I’m here to win a national championship,” Kraft said Monday. “And I believe our fans deserve it.”

The buyout will cost Penn State about $49 million, the second largest in college football history behind Jimbo Fisher’s $76 million buyout at Texas A&M.​​

Duke’s Manny Diaz and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman sympathized with Franklin’s staff and their families. But Lanning was simple to train for survival. Terry Smith takes over as interim coach and Penn State is 3-3. The program is looking for a new coach after a surprising decline from playoff contender to needing a complete rebuild.