Virginia Tech is betting big on James Franklin, but Paul Finebaum isn’t buying the idea that the Hokies just landed one of college football’s elite coaches.
Franklin is in Blacksburg after 12 seasons at Penn State, where he went 104-45 and got the Nittany Lions into the College Football Playoff in 2024. That run ended with a last-second semifinal loss to Notre Dame. But for all the wins, Franklin’s Penn State story always came with the same stain: the games that mattered most kept slipping away.
His record in bowl games was 6-6. Against ranked teams, he finished 16-29.
Against top-10 opponents, he was 4-21. Against top-five teams, he was 1-16.
Penn State gave him one more shot to flip that script after the playoff push and the return of several key starters were supposed to fuel a strong 2025 season. Instead, the Nittany Lions opened 3-3 after being ranked No. 2 in the preseason, and Franklin was fired.
Now he’s starting over at Virginia Tech on a five-year, $41.75 million deal, and Finebaum made it clear on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that he doesn’t see Franklin in the same light as many others do.
"Well, he's not," Finebaum said. "You've got to remember the media is not overly analytical when it comes to people they like.
Franklin got out. Nobody remembered he was fired by the end of the year.
He's doing 'GameDay,' sucking up to everybody... He's got an easier job.
It's a better fit for him. He's followed a bunch of losers at Virginia Tech, so it shouldn't be very difficult for him."
That blunt assessment cuts against the wave of optimism around the hire. Franklin has not shown he can consistently get a team over the hump, but he has shown he can raise the floor of a program. That’s a big reason Virginia Tech is intrigued.
The Hokies were a major ACC force in the late 1990s and through the 2000s, but they haven’t been able to recapture that edge since Frank Beamer retired. Justin Fuente produced one double-digit win season and also had three losing seasons. Brent Pry followed with three losing seasons in four years, and his lone winning campaign was a 7-6 finish.
Franklin’s track record is built on turning things around. At Vanderbilt, he inherited back-to-back 2-10 seasons and delivered two 9-4 seasons in three years. At Penn State, he took over after 8-4 and 7-5 seasons amid the cloud of the Jerry Sandusky incident and eventually produced six double-digit win seasons.
So the question in Blacksburg isn’t whether Franklin can build something. He already has that part on his résumé. The real test is whether he can do it fast enough in a more competitive ACC and turn Virginia Tech into something sturdier than what the program has been for years.
In Other News...
Badgers Fans Are Torn Over This Very Wisconsin New Look
The sight of a familiar Wisconsin brand showing up on Badgers uniforms is about to become part of the backdrop in Madison. Starting in September, Culvers will serve as the new jersey patch sponsor for Wisconsin football, mens basketball and mens hockey, a move that fits squarely into the growing era of university-business partnerships and gives the school a distinctly local twist.
The announcement drew a wave of support from corners of Wisconsin athletics, with voices like Matt Lepay, Marcus Sedberry, Big Cat, Adam Rittenberg and Nolan Winters agency all weighing in positively. For a fan base that tends to notice every change to the look and feel of Badger sports, the reaction says plenty about how this one is landing: part business decision, part identity check, and very much a conversation about what feels right on a Wisconsin uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Why Eugene Hilton Jr Suddenly Matters So Much For Wisconsin
Eugene Hilton Jr. did enough as a true freshman to make Wisconsin believe there is real receiver talent to build around, even if the box score did not fully capture it. He got on the field last season, flashed potential and now enters his sophomore year with a clearer path to matter, especially with coaches looking for reliable options who can grow into the offense and mesh with quarterback Colton Joseph.
Hiltons return gives the Badgers a player worth watching closely in camp because the next step is no longer about promise alone, it is about winning a role. He is pushing to climb into the starting mix, and while the fit with Joseph makes sense on paper, the bigger question is whether that upside turns into a consistent place in the rotation or leaves him still fighting for snaps when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Badger Fans Face One Brutal Choice Between Basketball And Hockey
Wisconsin fans who like to keep one eye on the Kohl Center and the other on the ice will have a problem on Dec. 30, 2026. The mens basketball team is set for a key non-conference game against Colorado State at home, while the mens hockey team is also slated to be in action on day two of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Fiserv Forum, leaving supporters with two live events and not nearly enough time to get to both.
The overlap is especially annoying because the two venues are more than an hour apart, turning what should be a busy holiday stretch into a genuine choice for Badger backers. Basketballs matchup carries real early-season weight, and the hockey tournament brings its own stakes with Wisconsin in the field, so even the most devoted fans may have to decide which side of the program gets their attention first. [Read more 🡒]