Overview

• On ESPN’s College GameDay, Nick Saban told James Franklin it was “unfair as hell” that Penn State let him go, citing Franklin’s past accomplishments at the program.
• Franklin used the appearance for his first public comments since being dismissed, saying he expects to coach again and will win a national championship elsewhere.
• Penn State dropped to 3-4 after an Iowa loss in interim coach Terry Smith’s debut, extending a skid that followed earlier setbacks this season.
• Columnists, including Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken and writers at Defector, denounced the segment as overly sympathetic and said it ignored losses to UCLA and Northwestern and administrative strains.
• Franklin is reportedly owed about $49 million in buyout money, a figure that has intensified debate over coach pay, expectations, and how media frame high-profile firings as the school’s search continues.