Penn State is reportedly prepping for Texas A&M "to make a run" at Nittany Lions coach James Franklin should the Aggies and Kevin Sumlin part ways after this season, according to a report from CBS Sports.
Franklin currently leads the No. 3 Nittany Lions as they make a run at a second consecutive Big Ten championship and potential berth in the College Football Playoff. Sumlin's A&M team 4-2 and coming off three consecutive 8-5 seasons.
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Sumlin entered the 2017 season on the hot seat for that very reason, and it didn't help when his own athletic director said he "had to win this year" over the summer. That "win now" mentality was compounded after the Aggies lost to UCLA after leading 44-10 to open the year. That was followed by online rants from university regents, racist letters from A&M fans and Sumlin's former AD saying he had "no say" in Sumlin's contract extension in 2013.
Speaking of which, A&M is still paying Sumlin on that six-year, $30 million extension. It would have to buy him out for $11.2 million if he was let go this season. Franklin, meanwhile, was given a six-year extension in August that pays him an average of $5.8 million a year (roughly $34.8 million over the course of the contract).
So not only would A&M have to shell out a ton of money just to get rid of Sumlin, they'd also have to give Franklin a sizable raise just to get him to College Station.
Moreover, despite a rough start to the season, Texas A&M sits at third in the SEC West through six games after an admirable eight-point loss against Alabama. The Aggies have winnable matchups against Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, New Mexico and LSU; a home game against No. 10 Auburn is, on paper, their toughest remaining game.
If they can navigate that SEC slate with just one loss, they'd be 9-3 heading into bowl season. A win there, and you're looking at the Aggies' first 10-win season since they went 11-2 in 2012.
It's too early to make a judgment either way, but perhaps Penn State might be worrying over nothing — for now.
