Paul Finebaum reveals why James Franklin deserved to be fired by Penn State

During the call-in segment of his Paul Finebaum Show on Tuesday, Finebaum was asked about Nick Saban calling James Franklin's firing from Penn State "unfair as hell" during an interview with Franklin on ESPN's College GameDay last Saturday.

Finebaum sharply disagreed with the take and countered with a harsh critique of Franklin and why he deserved the outcome he got.

"I didn't see the broadcast, I didn't see the interview, but I know one thing -- James Franklin should have been fired," Finebaum said. "And anybody who understands anything about college football, and I think that would apply to everybody on that show, was probably just being nice to James Franklin.

"Because when you lose to UCLA, did he lose to Northwestern, you ought to get fired. You start the season with possibly the most talented team in the country, and you do such a bad job that your own boss decides you can't even coach another game? Don't throw him a pity party."

Franklin led Penn State to 13 wins and the College Football Playoff semifinals last year, and the Nittany Lions opened this season ranked No. 2 with national championship aspirations, but after a 3-0 start against lesser competition, Penn State lost at home in overtime to Oregon and then followed with stunning losses to UCLA and Northwestern, prompting Franklin's firing.

Franklin joined College GameDay for his first interview since the firing, which is when Saban said this, "It's unfair as hell. For you to go to the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, get in the final four, come out and being ranked No. 1 this year ... an expectation you created, by which you accomplished at Penn State. And for those people not to show enough appreciation for that and gratitude for all the hard work that you did, I'm saying, it's unfair."