A home loss to Illinois puts James Franklin on the hottest seat at his driving school

As Penn State has their fans make a fashion choice that left Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confused, it's clear that a loss for the Lions could lead to their head coach being on the hot seat for the rest of the season.

Franklin who has never been able to lead Penn State to a College Football Playoff appearance in his time with the program, may be on the hot seat soon. The program has landed and won a couple of NY6 bowls under Franklin's tenure but with the much talent and sky-high expectations that's not enough.

At the end of the day, Penn State has been able to beat the entire Big Ten, with their struggles against Michigan and Ohio State being the reason they have failed to make the playoff. As Franklin gets Drew Allar and the rest of the Lions ready for a battle against a possibly above-average Illinois program, it's clear that the coach could be on the hot seat if Penn State loses.

A home loss to Illinois puts James Franklin on the hottest seat at his driving school

Considering it's likely that Penn State will probably lose one of their games against USC or Ohio State, it's fair to say that the Lions will have another season where the coach fails to put the program in a spot to win a national title. Yes, Penn State could still make the playoff as one of the three double-digit seeds in the tournament but it's hard to see a world it's not a situation as something where they sneak in.

Obviously, this game by itself is not a must-win if Penn State wants to make the playoff. Still based on the rest of their schedule, it's likely that they will need a win against Illinois and USC if they want to be a lock to make it in with a lower seed.