Examining best landing spots for James Franklin following Penn State exit

Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-2 in SEC)

A return to the SEC might be the most logical endpoint for Franklin. He previously coached at Vanderbilt from 2011-13, leading the program to a 24-15 record, including consecutive 9-4 seasons from 2012-13. Franklin's success within the conference and ability to turn around a Vanderbilt program that had gone 4-20 in the two seasons directly before his arrival make him a compelling option at Arkansas, which has had five losing seasons since 2017.

ESPN analyst

While Franklin sounds like a man ready to get back into the grind of coaching, it takes two to tango. If teams look elsewhere to fill their openings, Franklin could likely find a role at ESPN. He already has friends on the "GameDay" set, as his cordial on-set interview revealed.

Nick Saban was nearly apoplectic over his firing, acting as if it was a grave injustice that someone who failed to consistently win big games and flopped with his best roster got fired, while Desmond Howard praised Franklin for simply appearing on the show. After the beating he took from the Penn State faithful, it probably felt good to be in less hostile territory. We wouldn't fault him for choosing to take a break from coaching and spend a year around people who actually like him.

UCLA Bruins (2-4, 2-1 in Big Ten)

Franklin couldn't beat UCLA, so why not join the Bruins? 

Penn State suffered a stunning loss at UCLA, which fired head coach Deshaun Foster earlier this season, in Week 6. While interim head coach Tim Skipper may have improved his odds of earning the full-time gig with a 2-1 record, the Bruins could still decide to look outside the program for the next hire. Franklin certainly knows the Big Ten, and while he would face the same questions about his struggles against the conference's top teams, he would also have a chance to redeem himself in Los Angeles.

Virginia Tech Hokies (2-5, 1-2 in ACC)

If Franklin doesn't want to head back to the Big Ten or SEC but would rather forge another path, the Hokies should be an attractive destination. Virginia Tech spent years as one of the ACC's best programs, winning at least 10 games each season from 2004-11. The rise of Associated Press No. 18 Virginia (5-1, 3-0 in ACC) and No. 12 Georgia Tech (7-0, 4-0 in ACC) this year also reveals how wide open the ACC is, with the conference giving Franklin perhaps the easiest track to the College Football Playoff.