James Franklin to the SEC? 'Love' that idea, but where does he fit?

James Franklin is on the market, kicked to the curb by Penn State. He’s a proven program builder, and, within the SEC, there are programs that need rebuilt. He’s shown he can win in the SEC, too, having succeeded at Vanderbilt.

True, he’s got a history of flopping in big games, but he’s a steady performer.

Would any SEC programs be up for such steadiness?

On this edition of “SEC Football Unfi l tered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider a few SEC jobs that either are open or could open later this season, where Franklin could offer an upgrade.

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Table of Contents

Would James Franklin be a fit in the SEC?

Adams: I love this idea. Franklin’s a program builder. You think Arkansas could use one of those? Absolutely, it could. Never mind that Franklin couldn’t beat top-10 opponents, because Arkansas needs someone to help it climb the ladder. As for fit, Sam Pittman fit Arkansas’ culture perfectly, and the fans wanted him fired. Fans want a winner more than they want a coach whom they’d invite to dinner.

Florida will need a new coach soon. Franklin would be an undeniable upgrade on Billy Napier.

Auburn hasn’t finished with a winning season since 2020. It could do worse than Franklin, too. It has done worse.

Would Franklin be interested in any of these jobs? Hard to say. He’s not hurting for cash. If he’s interested, though, a few SEC schools would be wise to make that interest mutual. I saw this guy win at Vanderbilt, before NIL and transfer free agency. That achievement isn’t lost on me.

TOPPMEYER: Where Penn State went wrong with James Franklin

JAMES FRANKLIN’S NEXT MOVE: Can you imagine ex-Penn State coach calling the Hogs at Arkansas?

Toppmeyer: Absolutely agree Franklin is a program builder, and that Arkansas needs a program builder, but I’m just really struggling with the image of Franklin calling the Hogs. There are things you simply do not need to see in this life, and Big Game James with a hog hat on is one of them. Cultural fit is overblown in hires, but it doesn’t mean nothing.

I’m also envisioning a fan base’s blowback when the athletic director announces the hire of a guy who just lost to UCLA and Northwestern and tries to pretend this new hire can take a program to new heights.

At Florida, the fans don’t just want to win. The Gators want to be entertained. They want Steve Spurrier 2.0, a true quarterback savant. When was the last time Franklin developed a star quarterback? I’ll wait.

Auburn intrigues me. It tried the culture fit with Hugh Freeze. That went bust. The less said about Bryan Harsin, the better. Auburn is desperate for a winner. And the home of Bo Jackson could get behind a coach who builds a run game, like Franklin does. Also, Tigers fans probably remember Franklin’s Nittany Lions beating Auburn in 2021 and absolutely shredding Auburn in 2022.

I can’t see Franklin wanting to call the Hogs or Florida pretending Franklin is the second coming of Spurrier. I can see Franklin pulling Auburn out of the pit it’s stuck in.

Also in this episode

∎ The hosts update their CFP projection. Five SEC teams make the cut, but no SEC team comes off the board until the sixth round of their playoff draft. That speaks to the nature of the conference: It includes a lot of “pretty good” teams, but no dominant ones.

Week 8 picks against the spread!

Toppmeyer’s five-pack of picks (picks in bold):

∎ Tennessee at Alabama (-9.5)

∎ LSU at Vanderbilt (-2.5)

∎ Mississippi at Georgia (-7.5)

∎ Texas (-10.5) at Kentucky

∎ Georgia Tech at Duke (-2.5)

Season record: 17-18 (3-2 last week)

Adams’ five-pack of picks (picks in bold):

∎ Texas (-10.5) at Kentucky

∎ Mississippi at Georgia (-7.5)

∎ LSU at Vanderbilt (-2.5)

∎ Oklahoma (-4.5) at South Carolina

∎ Buffalo (-16.5) at Massachusetts

Season record: 17-18 (4-1 last week)

Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Franklin back to SEC? Arkansas, Florida, Auburn may need coach

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