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B1G debate: Are James Franklin and Mel Tucker distractions right now?

Ryan O'Gara

By Ryan O'Gara

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Editor’s note: Ryan O’Gara and Connor O’Gara grew up following sports in suburban Chicago. The brothers, separated by 20 months, debated about their favorite teams and players so often that their father would often have to remind them, “This isn’t PTI.” Each Friday, they’re bringing that debate to you, centered around the Big Ten and college football as a whole.

This week’s debate: Are James Franklin and Mel Tucker distractions right now?

RYAN: The coaching carousel should get going in the next month or so as more teams look to make a change. So far, USC fired Clay Helton just weeks into the season, and LSU announced that it would be moving on from Ed Orgeron after this season. And wouldn’t you know it, a couple Big Ten coaches are prime candidates for each position.

Penn State coach James Franklin is believed to be in play at both USC and LSU, while Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is being linked to the LSU job. So, are they distractions right now? I think the better question is, how could they not be? Franklin and Tucker are absolutely distractions right now because they are soaking up the headlines from their respective programs.

In Tucker’s case, it’s just a product of winning. I don’t think he has really said or done anything to wink at LSU. He didn’t really deny the rumors or do anything to squash them, he just said his focus is on Michigan. And that’s the shame of it all, the timing. This is the biggest game of this terrific rivalry in recent history. College GameDay and Big Noon Kickoff are coming to East Lansing, and of course, there will be talk about Tucker’s future, because how could there not be?

I think it’s more of Tucker’s past actions that have made this a distraction. For example, he tweeted about how committed he was to Colorado after the 2019 season (his first in Boulder) and that he wasn’t interested in Michigan State. Just a few days later, he was named head coach at Michigan State.

https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/status/1226230203451465728?s=20

So of course, people are going to wonder, is he going to leave Michigan State after 2 years? He just left Colorado after 1.

In Franklin’s case, he is absolutely a distraction because this happens every year, or at least it feels like it. Franklin is constantly being mentioned for other jobs. How does that happen? I don’t think it’s as organically as Tucker’s. Penn State hasn’t won the East since 2016, so it’s not like he’s some fast-rising coach here. His best work was in those early Penn State days and at Vanderbilt from 2011-13. What has Franklin done lately? In his last 17 B1G games, Penn State is 8-9. That’s not exactly a small sample size.

That leads me to believe there is something else at play: His agent is floating his name out there for other jobs. Agents do this for leverage purposes; the client’s name gets associated with other jobs, then the current school has to ante up and pay the client more to keep him.

Speaking of an agent, it was revealed this week that Franklin is now being represented by super agent Jimmy Sexton, who reps Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian and a host of others. At one point, the guy represented 11 of the 14 SEC coaches. Franklin claims that the change happened over the summer and no one knew, but it is curious timing. This feels like a power move by Franklin.

When asked about it this week, Franklin answered, “I’ve been asked this question multiple times, and my focus is completely on Illinois and this team and this program.”

Great answer! Except you play Ohio State this week.

CONNOR: This is a complicated issue that’s not as cut and dried as some of our past debates. I agree with so many of the points that you brought up. I actually forgot about that tweet from Tucker because I was consumed by the odd timing on Michigan State’s part. That’s a fair point. And if we’re being 100% honest, it would be foolish to turn down LSU if Scott Woodward came calling. Go ask Nick Saban about leaving East Lansing for Baton Rouge. Three national titles with 3 different coaches later, yeah, it’s fair to say it’s an elite job.

For Tucker, that’s why this is indeed complicated. In a perfect world, he wouldn’t lie (again) about his loyalty to his current program and his team would play with its hair on fire in the biggest game of the season. We’ll play the results on that and say if the Spartans lose, clearly Tucker’s job prospects were at the root of it, when in reality, a loss might just show that Michigan was the better football team for an afternoon.

That’s one side of the argument. Franklin’s situation is totally different because this is not new. Ever since 2017, he’s been linked to big-time jobs. How come Lincoln Riley or Dabo Swinney are never legitimately part of these discussions? Why is it always that Franklin’s name is circling?

Anybody who observed Franklin’s behavior during his 7 years at Penn State can see that he’s always seeking approval. It matters to him how he’s viewed in the college football landscape. Remember how his approach to faking injuries was his way of “trying to protect college football?” Or remember how he vented about divisional teams using negative recruiting before an all-important Year 3 in Happy Valley?

This type of stuff doesn’t happen by accident. Franklin himself can say all he wants that this isn’t a distraction, but he’s dominated national headlines for the last 3 weeks, which just so happened to coincide with his team struggling. Is that a coincidence? I don’t think so. Franklin wants validation. He needs validation.

I’m someone who used to laugh off the Franklin-is-leaving rumors because as he says, he’s a Pennsylvania native coaching Penn State. What more could he want? Acceptance. Because of his own doing, he doesn’t have that validation right now. The difference this time is I actually think Franklin bolts for USC at season’s end. He seems like he wants a change of scenery, and I think Penn State fans are ready for him to stop being a distraction.

What’s your take on that?

RYAN: Good points on Franklin and what motivates him. He is the type of guy who wants to give off the impression that he doesn’t want the attention, but really, he is very conscientious of his brand and how he is perceived.

I always roll my eyes when coaches pretend like they are so surprised to be mentioned with another job and are incredulous that media would even ask about it. Most of the time, that’s part of a plan to get a raise from the current school or just keep their name in the headlines and raise their profile, as what seems to happen with Franklin on a yearly basis.

(The one exception to this is Mike Tomlin. I have no idea where that came from. I did enjoy his reaction, though.)

To answer your question, yeah, I do think it’s more likely than not that he leaves this offseason. I think the combination of needing a fresh start and some of the premier jobs in college football opening up is going to make him jump ship. I think Penn State fans would be grateful for what he accomplished (3 double-digit win seasons and 1 B1G title), wish him well and be eager to turn the page. Because the program right now feels stagnant.

For Michigan State, though, it would be crushing to lose Tucker. He is certainly building something that will last longer than a year. He has a great recruiting class coming in 2022, and there’s real potential with Penn State potentially with a first-year head coach and really only Ohio State and Michigan to contend with.

I also just don’t think Tucker should leave for LSU. It’s obviously a great job, but moving onto a third head-coaching gig in 4 years seems like way too much change in such a short period of time. It’s one thing when you’re an assistant and you’re climbing the ladder, like going from a defensive backs coach to a defensive coordinator role and going to bigger programs. But Tucker is coaching in a conference loaded with money and is leading a top-10 team right now. Slow down and build something.

It’s not a perfect comparison, but I just think back to Lane Kiffin ruthlessly climbing the ladder and then flaming out at USC. It took him 7 years to get back to a Power 5 head coaching job after that. LSU just let go of a coach who won a national title less than 2 years ago. The pressure will be insane.

I think Tucker should model his career after Chris Peterson, Matt Campbell or Luke Fickell. You don’t have to jump at the first good opportunity. Be patient, build something.

What do you think? Am I crazy for thinking Tucker should turn down LSU (if it actually does offer him the job)?

CONNOR: There’s a difference between whether you think a coach will succeed compared to whether you think a coach should accept a job. The former speaks to what you said about Tucker. Honestly, I’m of the impression that we really don’t know if a coach will succeed when he’s hired. Tucker is a great example of that at Michigan State. It’s all about the moves a coach makes after getting hired that’ll determine his ceiling.

But here’s where I push back on that. Aren’t we seeing Michigan State’s ceiling right now? This is never going to be a national championship team. If you don’t believe that, go back to 2015. The resources and talent aren’t going to ever be at that elite level. That doesn’t mean he can’t build an outstanding program and enjoy his life there. Lord knows Mark Dantonio had plenty of opportunities to bounce, and he didn’t. I think Dantonio and Izzo having the rare longevity that they did was such a luxury for the school.

If you’re Tucker, you’ve been in this business for 25 years dating back to his time as an MSU grad assistant. He’s not in his early-to-mid 30s like Kiffin was. Tucker might have to learn some things as a head coach, which is the baked-in risk with him potentially leaving for LSU, but this business chews coaches up and spits them out. There’s no guarantee that Tucker will be in position to land a job as elite as LSU.

I say “elite” not just because it’s a proven national title winner. For the first 20 seasons of the 21st century, LSU never dipped below 8 wins. That was with 3 different head coaches. At LSU, they’ll go out and pay coordinators $2 million. They have the resources to sign a top-5 recruiting class every year, and unlike Florida, California and Texas, it’s a top-tier recruiting ground that doesn’t have the entire country coming in and stealing the best talent.

I hate it when coaches are all about the rise, and I’d have no problem with Tucker if he decided that he really wanted to build something at Michigan State for a decade. But I’d also have no problem with a guy getting rewarded after spending a quarter century grinding his way to the top of the food chain. That’s what LSU is.

Here’s hoping that either way, Tucker doesn’t put his foot in his mouth like Franklin.

RYAN: Well, Tucker has only been in East Lansing for about 20 months. Maybe he hasn’t unpacked yet? I’m not sure I could turn down LSU, if I were him, but looking at this from the outside, I think he should play the long game. Use this opportunity to get a nice raise and extension from Michigan State.

Point taken on whether you can win a national title at Michigan State. But here’s what I will say: Do you know how many programs have made the Playoff in its 7-year history? Just 11. And Michigan State is in that group.

All that talk about potential coaching movement, and we didn’t even talk about Nebraska! It should be an eventful offseason in the Big Ten.

Ryan O'Gara

Ryan O'Gara is the lead columnist for Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGara.