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It has been a difficult week for James Franklin, whose decade-long tenure at Penn State ended on Sunday. The Nittany Lions dismissed Franklin less than 24 hours after their shocking 22-21 home loss to Northwestern, their third straight Big Ten defeat. The loss dropped Penn State to 3-3, fueling speculation that had been building for weeks after a disappointing start to the season.
Franklin's firing came despite a preseason No. 2 ranking and College Football Playoff expectations. Athletic Director Pat Kraft named associate head coach and former Penn State defensive back Terry Smith as interim head coach. Franklin leaves the program with a 104-45 record, but his inability to win marquee games ultimately defined his tenure in Happy Valley.
Debate over Franklin's firing has dominated college football discussions this week, with many pointing to his struggles against elite opponents. Amid the ongoing conversation, ESPN announced Thursday that Franklin will give his first interview since being fired, appearing live on "College GameDay" from Athens, Georgia.
"Former Penn State head coach James Franklin joins the set live in Athens for an exclusive interview, his first since being relieved of his head coaching duties on October 12," the network wrote in its official press statement.
The network revealed the "exclusive line interview" during Thursday's SportsCenter broadcast.
The show will air from the University of Georgia campus beginning at 9 a.m. ET, ahead of Saturday's matchup between No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 9 Georgia at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Remarkably, this will be Franklin's second GameDay appearance in three weeks. He previously joined the show on Sept. 27 ahead of Penn State's double-overtime loss to Oregon.
Franklin's dismissal followed years of unmet expectations in big games -- he went just 4-21 against AP top-10 teams, including 1-10 versus Ohio State and 3-7 against Michigan. While he revitalized the program and kept Penn State nationally relevant, his inability to take the next step proved costly. The Nittany Lions will now move forward under Smith as they begin their search for a permanent replacement.
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