James Franklin Calls Out Refs Over Virginia Tech Penalty: What Really Happened
James Franklin does not usually get theatrical after wins. That is what made his postgame comments this week so notable. The Penn State head coach used the word un-American to describe a penalty called against Virginia Tech, and yes, that was in a game his own team won.
The specific play was a hit on a defenseless receiver flagged as targeting. It was reviewed, upheld, and it resulted in an ejection. Franklin, who has coached long enough to know how touchy this topic is, went off anyway.
His argument was straightforward. The hit did not look intentional, the receiver was not defenseless in the true sense of the word, and ejecting a college player for a bang-bang football play feels excessive. Calling it un-American was over the top, but Franklin has always been a coach who says what he thinks and lets the fallout land where it lands.
Coaches sticking up for opposing players is rare. Coaches doing it after a win, when they have every incentive to just enjoy the moment, is almost unheard of. That is part of why Franklin’s comments went viral within hours.
The bigger conversation is about the targeting rule itself. Nobody wants to see players get their heads taken off, and the rule exists for a good reason. But the current version relies on split-second judgment from officials, and the automatic ejection component means one questionable call can change a young player’s season.
Franklin knows this game. He has coached Penn State to Big Ten titles and top-ten finishes. His voice carries weight in the coaching community, and other head coaches will quietly nod along even if they will not say it publicly.
Expect the NCAA rules committee to hear about this in the offseason. There has been momentum for a while to soften the automatic ejection piece, letting officials issue a lesser penalty when the hit is borderline. Franklin’s rant may push that conversation forward.
For Virginia Tech, the damage is done. Their player will not be available for the crucial early stretch of ACC play, and that could cost the Hokies a game they cannot afford to lose.
Franklin will get a note from the Big Ten office reminding him to keep his comments about officials measured. He knew that was coming when he opened his mouth. He said it anyway. That tells you everything about how strongly he felt.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
