Not only did the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team pull out what looks like a culture-changing victory over Maryland on Saturday, but it appears the road ahead, at least in regards to Penn State, got easier. Not only did starting quarterback Drew Allar suffer a season-ending injury on Saturday, but head coach James Franklin was fired on Sunday.
Franklin was fired in the middle of his 12th year with the Nittany Lions. He compiled a 104-45 record that included a march into and through the first two rounds of the College Football Playoffs. However, after a 3-0 start to this season and a preseason Top 5 ranking, the Nittany Lions lost in overtime to Oregon (who was at least another National Title Contender) and then, inexplicably, lost to then 0-4 UCLA and another 20+-point underdog to Northwestern on Saturday.
Falling to 3-3 was too much for Penn State to take. Knowing there isn't much more to play for this season, the Nittany Lions are moving to an interim coach - likely for the rest of the season - until they find a replacement. In the process, a game that was slated to be among the most difficult of the season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers is now a contender for the easiest game of the final six contests.
Matt Rhule immediately mentioned as top candidate for Penn State
It took no time at all to go from the announcement of James Franklin's firing to Nebraska coach Matt Rhule being mentioned as a top candidate to replace him. Rhule is a Penn State alum and is close to athletic director Pat Kraft, who hired him at Temple.
Most Husker fans dismissed whispers last week that Rhule might be a candidate if Franklin was fired. Still, one analyst went on record on Sunday saying he was told there won't be much of a search and that the NU head man is the top target.
More Nebraska Cornhuskers news
- There was more than one piece of fallout for Nebraska thanks to Penn State. NU is now at least a long-shot contender to land the services of the 2027 top running back recruit, Kemon Spell. Spell was a PSU commit until Sunday after Franklin was fired. The Huskers offered him, and he told On3 he's at least interested.
- Nebraska got more good news than just a win over Maryland this weekend. On Sunday afternoon, the AP Top 25 revealed the Huskers got enough votes to be ranked No. 25, one spot behind No. 24 Cincinnati, which NU beat to open the season.
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team wasn't the only group that had a good weekend. The volleyball team won two more matches against Washington on Friday and No. 12 Purdue on Sunday. Both matches were straight-set sweeps. NU has now posted sweeps in 7 straight matches. The last time they lost a set was when they beat Creighton on September 18, 3-2.