James Franklin Appreciation Thread

[Notre Dame Joe]

That language is absolutely boilerplate.

Alumnus

Sorry, that is like my one language pet peeve for some reason.

I understand that disputes are referred to a mediatrix.

 

[SportsingHard]

Most people misuse the term and equate it with 'winning championships.' A blueblood means what you said. It also means a team that your grandpa believes will be good this year. When everyone else loses they drop out of the news. When a blueblood is down they run stories What is wrong with <blueblood> because your grandpa wants to know.

This made me smile. My "Granddad" was a star HS RB/sprinter who didn't play college ball, but did get his PhD at ND in the late 40's. Leahy has 36-0-2 while my grandparents were there. Dad was born after the 1946 Game of the Century vs Army. Granddad wanted me to attend ND so bad he offered to pay my way, but I opted for secular education and freedom of lifestyle.

I don't know if my other "Grandpa" had a favorite school, but one son who was a star RB still has a recruiting letter from Ara Parseghian.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Sherrone Moore.

So many choices!

 

[Irish du Nord]

Sherrone Moore.

Dabo Swinney too

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

So many choices!

Dabo Swinney too

I am under the impression that if there are actual interviews and conversations about this job, Ohio State and Michigan are going to come up. I would probably be inclined to discuss game planning, watching film, etc. as part of the process. The previous guy went 64-36 in the Big Ten and mostly lost to those two programs. "Big games" in general were a problem.

So Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule are the top two guys on the list, both currently in said Big Ten and both have a small number of encounters with tOSU and scUM. I'm asking them the difficult questions since this is all going to cost over $100M more than likely.

 

[SportsingHard]

I am under the impression that if there are actual interviews and conversations about this job, Ohio State and Michigan are going to come up. I would probably be inclined to discuss game planning, watching film, etc. as part of the process. The previous guy went 64-36 in the Big Ten and mostly lost to those two programs. "Big games" in general were a problem.

So Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule are the top two guys on the list, both currently in said Big Ten and both have a small number of encounters with tOSU and scUM. I'm asking them the difficult questions since this is all going to cost over $100M more than likely.

My take:

Ohio State is the new Alabama until proven otherwise.

Plan: Recruit all 5 stars and play a perfect game in all phases.

Michigan is a paper tiger. Apart from 3 very cheaty/successful years under Harbaugh, UM is 65-53 against Rutgers, Maryland, Northwestern, et al. in conference games since our QB's grandpa coached there. The current coach is 7-5.

Plan: Show up to the stadium, block, tackle, and try not to turn the ball over more than three times.

 

[dublinirish]

 

[Bane]

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

 

[KMac151993]

That better be hanging above his fireplace some day.

 

[Huntr]

That better be hanging above his fireplace some day.

"Franklin's Pickett's Charge"

 

[irishu]

Being interviewed live on Gameday this weekend

 

[ACamp1900]

Being interviewed live on Gameday this weekend

Who’s gonna make the spider man sign of franklins head on one spider man with a giant foreskin on the other,….?

 

[thekid33]

Franklin better at least get a Christmas card from Cignetti.

 

[GowerND11]

In talks with VA Tech. Some people were calling this one. Let’s see how it plays out this week.

 

[ACamp1900]

Enter Scrotman

 

[Bane]

In talks with VA Tech. Some people were calling this one. Let’s see how it plays out this week.

Short of being able to take the job at the powerhouse known as the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, this was probably the best job fit for Franklin. Modest expectations, annual path to the playoffs in a weak conference, can attract good enough talent to be consistently in the mix, etc.

 

[irishff1014]

In talks with VA Tech. Some people were calling this one. Let’s see how it plays out this week.

This might be the hire of the year. When good VT has a great environment to play in. Franklin is still close to A lot of recruits and the areas he built relationships with. The ACC is weak right now.

If it happens this is a win!

 

[Dale]

 

[Bane]

Kids were definitely committing to Franklin. No one was committing to Brian Kelly. Florida, that's interesting because Napier was a great recruiter, but I think kids are hanging around to see if the smoke around Lane is true.

 

[Fbolt]

Virginia Tech's new coach. A pretty good fit IMO.

 

[TheRealLynch51]

Virginia Tech's new coach. A pretty good fit IMO.

For as much as Franklin is a fucking clown, I agree. VT has been so inconsistent ever since Beamer Sr left. Franklin would provide stability and a higher floor, which is what that program needs right now.

 

[greyhammer90]

Also a massive win for the ACC. Virginia Tech is going to be getting night games and attention again. The ACC desperately needs a team that isn't publicly floating the idea of leaving the conference to win some football games and get media attention.

 

[MacIrish75]

Virginia Tech…fresh off the juice of this hire…has a chance to do something incredibly monumental…

 

[thekid33]

The media narrative of VaTech being some sort of sleeping giant mystifies me.

They went to one BCS title game with a generational college football player at QB.

Sure, they can be good enough to win the ACC. Because that isn't that hard.

I totally get the hire from their POV because Franklin brings a high floor and should be able to get them back to 9-10 wins a year and the occasional ACC title.

From Franklin's POV, which is his stated goal to win a national championship....LOL.

Anything can happen, but I wouldn't bet on it happening there.

I think deep down he knows he is a fraud as far as those aspirations and probably the people making decisions at the places where you can win the title knew it too. I doubt he ever got very far down the road with any of them.

Good hire for VaTech because it lets them achieve their realistic ceiling.

Bad hire for James Franklin's ego thinking he's ever going to win a national title.

 

[Irish#1]

Looks like Greyhound may need to schedule a direct trip form Happy Valley to Blacksburg.

They basically hired another Beamer IMO.

 

[Dale]

 

[Dale]

Honestly rooting for Franklin to steal every recruit from PSU and win every game as long as it doesn’t involve ND. The second we hit the field in 2027 Freeman still will own him.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I'm so curious why recruits would flock to Franklin, specifically. He was so weird and cringy at the Orange Bowl presser and he doesn't win the big games. He must be one helluva used car salesman.

 

[NDMatt91]

I'm so curious why recruits would flock to Franklin, specifically. He was so weird and cringy at the Orange Bowl presser and he doesn't win the big games. He must be one helluva used car salesman.

Tom Lemming said he puts a lot of effort into recruiting and is good at building relationships. When Kelly was the HC, he said PSU would win a lot of recruiting battles against ND because Franklin would be the one that would be talking to the recruits or showing up at the schools, whereas Kelly would have the position coach or area recruiter do all of the heavy lifting.