Penn State Football

‘You Can’t Let James Franklin on That Plane’: Twitter Reacts to Penn State Blunder at UCLA

Joe Smeltzer

Published

October 4, 2025

Well, it happened.

Penn State somehow found a way to lose at UCLA, which came into the day 0-4.

It’s really hard to put this one into words.

Penn State came in as the No. 7 team in the country, going up against a team that was 0-4 and has just fired its head coach and offensive coordinator.

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The question wasn’t how much Penn State would win, but how it would win by. Turns out, the answer to both questions in was “zero.”

Here’s how people reacted to this absolute blunder.

James Franklin should be fired.
But $50 million is a gigantic sum.
Bottom line, no Penn State fan will ever trust him again.
Rightfully so.

— Cory Giger (@CoryGiger) October 4, 2025

This should be the Penn State Athletic Director when James Franklin gets back to State College, Pa.

pic.twitter.com/tlIFQg1gUs

— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) October 4, 2025

You can’t let James Franklin on that plane

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) October 4, 2025

No way James Franklin getting outcoached by Joffrey Lannister. pic.twitter.com/wqDbudTSVw

— The Dawgzilla (@TheDawgzilla) October 4, 2025

james franklin so sick of us saying he can’t win the big games he decided to not win the small ones. checkers not chess.

— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) October 4, 2025

When the “James Franklin fired” headline hits tomorrow morning 😍 pic.twitter.com/9N5DwDShjv

— The Penn State Troll 🦁🧌 (@ThePSUTroll) October 4, 2025

UCLA to Penn State pic.twitter.com/XGIADOlx8V

— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) October 4, 2025

My Texas v Penn State Natty, and I’ve given this a lot of thought, is probably not going to happen.

— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) October 4, 2025

Penn State with the easiest schedule known to human mankind…. pic.twitter.com/AMdoN6vqDI

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) October 4, 2025

I fear this will become a weekly James Franklin tweet pic.twitter.com/JPBDHjjRZX

— Penn State Talk (@PSURecruitTalk) October 4, 2025

James Franklin tomorrow morning pic.twitter.com/vJHqEISUC0

— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) October 4, 2025

I can’t wait to be drunk at the bar in a turtle onesie and get the ESPN notification that James Franklin has been left on the tarmac pic.twitter.com/oaX71qqSjj

— Caroline (@_supcaroline) October 4, 2025

I think this is the worst loss in… Penn State Football history?

— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) October 4, 2025

At least Penn State has that win over Florida to hang on to.
Oh wait. That was Florida International

— John Steigerwald (@Steigerworld) October 4, 2025

Jerry Neuheisel took over offensive playcalling duties four days ago for UCLA. They were 0-4 and had not led for a single second in any game entering today.

They’re up 17-7 on #7 Penn State.

He may be the final boss of handsome up-and-coming McVay/Kingsbury type coaches. pic.twitter.com/jFJcQo74Vx

— Jake (@JakeAndBall) October 4, 2025

If there’s anyone who watches these last two weeks of Penn State football and still thinks James Franklin can get Penn State over the hump, you have to be his dog to have that much loyalty.

— Logan Carney (@Media_Carnival) October 4, 2025

Penn State is the only local team w/out a P4 win.

— Adam Crowley (@_adamcrowley) October 4, 2025

Franklin has done a lot of very good things here, but things have honestly gone stale.

When we look back at Penn State history, Franklin will be remembered as the guy before the guy.

Time to go find the guy.

— Jaret Gold (@JaretGold) October 4, 2025

Penn State routinely coming up small against the big boys of college football was annoying but excusable.

Losing to a UCLA team that has already fired its whole coaching staff should rightfully have the pitchforks out.

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) October 4, 2025

Friendly reminder that Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi closed several branch campuses, and laid off thousands of employees, just to give herself a 48 percent raise and fund whatever the hell James Franklin is doing for the football team right now

— Richard S (@SecretRichardS) October 4, 2025

James Franklin can recruit. He can’t coach.

— Donny Football (@DonChed54) October 4, 2025

James Franklin vs Top 10 teams and James Franklin vs winless teams pic.twitter.com/O7pwjY5r9P

— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) October 4, 2025